


Cinderella

by WordsOfMyReality



Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: Alternate Universe - Homeless, Angst, Cinderella - Freeform, Drama, F/F, Homelessness, JAQ - Freeform, Lust, Socks, gus - Freeform, volunteer, volunteerism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-05 16:20:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 76,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15867276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsOfMyReality/pseuds/WordsOfMyReality
Summary: Alex keeps crossing paths with an intriguing homeless girl on the cold streets of Chicago. Nicky's mom is about to cut her off. Again. Can Alex help Nicky keep her money and save the girl at the same time? AU





	1. Homeless

The young girl sat on the cold cement, knees drawn to her chest as if she were afraid to let go, rocking back and forth. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, if on anything at all. The rags covering her wiry body seemed grimy and far too large for her frame. Yet there was something about her. But what?

"Yo slick, are you listening to me?" Alex was jolted out of her staring by her best friend.

"Fuck Nichols. What?" She turned and looked down at her wild haired buddy. "Do you even own a brush Nick?"

Nicky chuckled as she tucked her arm into the taller woman's elbow and pulled her into the bar. "Did you hear what I said? Hell hasn't frozen over after all. All along I thought Mommy-Dearest was cutting me off but there's a chance. Praise the Lord. Grab a seat. I'll get the brewskies."

Alex pulled herself up on a barstool. Her eyes were automatically drawn down the street to the homeless girl they had passed earlier. The rocking motion had seemed to stop, but she was too far away to make out her features. Alex couldn't shake what she had felt as they had passed by. She drawn to this girl, and her eyes kept flicking back to her.

Soon Nicky was back with two beers and a couple of shots. "Here's to trust funds and good times. Salud!" The friends clinked shot glasses and downed the burning tequila.

"Damn Nicky. Fuck. Why do you always get the cheap shit?" Alex sputtered. "You’re loaded. Can't you at least afford better booze?" Alex quickly chased the nasty shot with half her beer.

"Love me, love my drink. Besides if you don't like what I pick out, buy it yourself."

"Good point. So, tell me more about your mom not cutting you off."

"You know how she's always calling me selfish and ungrateful?"

"Well how many times has she had to bail you out of jail and to keep you from going to prison? I think she's probably fairly accurate in her description. How often do you think of others? And when was the last time you thanked her for her lawyers?"

"Shut up. I thought you were my friend. Anyhow, she told me that it's not always about me. Ha! Imagine that. No but seriously. She's given me four weeks – a month to find some way to help somebody or some cause that's greater than myself. If I can prove to her that I can put others before me, my trust fund and inheritance stays intact."

Alex drained her beer and slipped off the stool to retrieve another round. She spoke over her shoulder while waiting on the drinks. "That's the question of the year Nicky? Are you capable of putting others before yourself?" Upon her return, she looked at her friend in the eyes. "Are you?"

Nicky grabbed the bottle and put it to her lips. "Am I what?"

Alex sighed. "Up to the challenge your mother set for you? That's a pretty tall order."

"Well my friend, that's where you come in…"

* * *

The rattle of a supermarket cart shook the ragged girl from her daydream. With no stores nearby it wasn't a sound she was used to in this neighborhood. Squinting, she saw an old, rusty cart filled with tin cans, greasy paper bags, and various other odd pieces of junk. It shook and rattled as it passed over the uneven concrete slabs. She recognized the shriveled old man pushing his belongings. Matt.

She tucked her head into her arms and acted as though she was asleep. She had quickly learned to stay isolated in every possible way despite being familiar with some of the homeless in the neighborhood. The harshness of the street made people react in unpredictable ways.

"Hey." Matt stopped his cart. "Hey you. Who are you?" He gently prodded the girl with his foot. "You can't be out here, you know." He waited for a response. "It's going to get cold tonight missy. You don't look warm enough." Matt began to rummage around in his cart.

After a few moments, the girl felt something drape over her shoulders. Peeking through her eyes, she realized that Matt had given her a shelter blanket.

"That should help some missy. There's a good shelter over on 32nd and Rand if you are hungry. They might even be able to find a bed for you." Keeping her shoulders hunched and head buried, she acknowledged Matt with a shake of her head and a mumbled thanks. "I'll be on my way then. Stay warm."

* * *

Nicky and Alex were tossing ideas back and forth and were on about their fourth beer. Alex's body tensed as she saw an old man with a scraggly white beard pushing a shopping cart approaching the girl still hunched on the side walk. She felt a protective streak surge through her as she watched the silent interaction between the two obviously homeless people.

Alex unconsciously stood when the man started rummaging through his cart. Her eyes narrowed when the man pulled out a thin blanket to drape over the girl's shoulders then walk off. Relief coursed through her that the girl had not been hurt.

"Hello…? Stretch? Are you game?" Nicky shoved her friend out of her daze.

"Yeah, well let me think about it Nick. I might be able to help you run a good con, but I'm not sure how I would feel running one on your mom. Let's talk about this tomorrow." Alex threw some bills on the table to cover her part of the tab and headed out the door.

* * *

 

The girl pulled the blanket tightly over her shoulders thankful for the warmth it provided. She listened for the rattle of the cart and as it got about half a block away, she lifted her head from her knees. The warmth of the blanket allowed her to not hug her legs quite so tightly. She was wearing a several layers of clothing but apparently not enough to keep out the cold Chicago wind.

Laughter and music poured out of one of the bars down the street as someone opened the door to head home for the evening. She could only imagine the warmth of a bar… or a house… or a shelter. She didn't ever recall being this cold before.

When the person from the bar walking her direction suddenly stopped a few feet from her and crouched down, the girl jumped back a bit in fear and gave out a surprised shriek. She curled back up into a ball, hugging her knees with her face buried under the blanket.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." The woman's voice was deep and raspy. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you." Something about it made her sound kind and honest. The woman made no attempt to move towards her.

The girl slowly peeked out at the woman stooped a few feet away. From what she could tell despite the woman being wrapped up in her coat, scarf, and beanie, she was quite beautiful. Her green eyes were strikingly stunning paired with her pale skin.

"Aren't you cold?"

The girl shrugged.

"I guess that's a stupid question, huh. It's 26 degrees out here, plus Chicago's infamous wind. Of course you're cold. I'm cold, and I have a proper coat. Let's try a different question. What's your name? I'm Alex."

The girl just looked at her.

"Do you have any place to stay tonight?"

Silence.

"When was the last time you ate?"

Silence.

Alex got a strong feeling that she wasn't going to make any progress with the young girl. So she decided to not press her luck. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her wallet and withdrew $40. She slid the two bills over until they were under the young girl's knee where they wouldn't blow away.

"Get yourself a warm meal hon and find someplace to sleep. It's only going to get colder. Bye now." Alex slowly got to her feet and turned to leave when she heard a voice come from behind her.

"Piper." Alex turned to face the girl. "My name is Piper."

* * *

 

Alex nodded and walked away, her mind spinning about the person she had just interacted with. There was something… she just couldn't place her finger on it.

Piper grabbed the money, folded it tightly and slipped it safely into the depths of the many layers of her clothing. Once she was sure the woman had disappeared from the street, Piper got up and tugged the shelter blanket around her as tight as it would go. She started walking in the direction Matt had gone with his cart.

It didn't take long for her to find him curled up sleeping in the stoop of a vacant building sheltered from the blustery gusts that chilled one to the bone. His cart was loosely tied to his leg with a frayed rope. She gently tucked the money the woman had given her into Matt’s loose hand and covered him with the blanket he had just given her not less than an hour ago.

"Good night Matt." Her voice was barely a whisper.

From another layer of clothing, she withdrew a small bag of change and picked out a few coins. She walked over a few blocks and stood to wait on a bus to a different part of the city. The people at the bus stop gave her a wide berth which was fine with her. She knew what she looked like and certainly what she smelled like. When the bus stopped, Piper went to pay her far and get on.

The driver held up his hand to stop her, shaking his head. "Off." He pointed down the steps. "Off my bus now or I'll call the cops." His voice was gruff and menacing.

Piper showed him her coins. "I have the fare man. You can't keep me from getting on the bus if I have fare. I'm going to 65th street then getting off. Fuck you if you don't like that. Call the cops if you have to. But I'm not getting off."

Her powerful voice startled the driver. He glared at her as he looked her over again, checking to see if she was serious. Piper held the coins up in her fingers and arched her eyebrows, questioning his authority to keep her from riding public transportation. As he nodded to her, she dropped the change in the machine and found a seat at the back, away from all of the other riders.

Piper exited the bus thirty some odd blocks later and walked to the 65th street shelter. She hoped she wasn't too late and beds were still available. She had never been to this shelter before and hoped the people were kind.

As luck would have it, Piper was able to get the last open cot the shelter had in the women’s section. She settled into the small space that had been allocated for that bed. After a fairly decent meal, she dug in her bag and withdrew a pad of paper and pen. Flipping open the pad, she began to write about the day's events. She had only been on the streets for a week but already had come to one huge realization. _Being homeless sucked._


	2. Mom Con

Alex groaned as she heard the text message alert sound on her phone. Who the fuck could be texting her at this time in the morning? She heard another message come through.

[Awake? ~N]  
[Come on Stretch. We need to talk. ~N]

Alex rolled over and grabbed both her phone and glasses from the nightstand. She fumbled with her glasses as she shoved them on her nose and unlocked her phone. "Fuck."

[No. I'm still asleep!~A]

[No you aren't ~N]

[Yes I am. Leave me alone Nichols. ~A]

Suddenly the phone was vibrating and ringing. Alex punched the answer button and shouted, "What Nichols? What is so important that you need to wake me up?"

"Hey buddy. Nice to talk to you this morning. Actually, that's why I'm calling. We need to talk."

"Well I need sleep."

"Bullshit. You can sleep when you're dead. I'm ten minutes away. Meet me at the café on the corner. Breakfast on me."

Alex's protests went unheard as Nicky hung up on her. She grumbled as she pulled on her jeans from the previous night and a sweatshirt. Her jet-black hair got pulled into a ponytail as she made only minimal efforts to get ready. Alex splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth. Once she pulled on her outer wear to protect against the Chicago cold, she headed to the café.

Nicky had beat her to the eating establishment just long enough to have two steaming mugs of coffee waiting her friend's arrival. "See, I care about your well-being Stretch." Nicky motioned to the caffeine with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

Rolling her eyes, Alex gulped some of the scorching liquid to warm her insides from the short jaunt over in the chill. "You just know I'm extra bitchy without caffeine."

After the women had placed their order, Alex growled at her friend. "Pray tell what is so important that you have to drag me out of bed when you know I need my beauty rest."

"Come on Alex, old buddy, old pal. We talked about this the other night at the bar."

"Oooohhhhh this is about us running a con on your mother. Let me recap. YOU are supposed to be serving a cause greater than yourself, but you want ME to do it for you?"

"Yup." Nicky grinned widely. "That pretty much sums it up."

"And exactly how do you propose this to work?"

Their food arrived, and Nicky talked while the pair ate their breakfast. "What do you think?"

"Let me see if I have this right. You want  _me_  to find this greater cause so you can keep your mama's money." Nicky nodded. "And what's in it for me?"

"Money. I'm not cut off yet and have access to pretty good funds. How does a weekly salary sound?" Nicky threw out a number.

Alex nearly choked on her coffee. "Fuck Nichols. Are you serious? Okay – and  **if**  I agree to do this and successfully keep you from financial ruin and being disowned, then what?"

Nicky tossed out an additional dollar amount which really caused Alex to raise her eyebrows. Alex paused, contemplating her options. "Plus expenses," Nicky threw in. "Come on Alex. I know you are strapped for cash. We haven't pulled a con off in ages."

"I still can't believe you are too damn useless to do this yourself. But my friend, you are in luck as I am indeed in need of cash and have no other cons in mind at the moment. You have yourself a deal." Alex put her hand out for Nicky to shake.

Nicky leapt up and began to spin in circles whooping excitedly garnering glares from the waitress. "I knew I kept you around for some reason. Thanks Alex. Hey, I gotta go." She tossed enough money on the table to cover the meal. Then she withdrew a fat envelope from her jacket and handed it to Alex. "First week's salary."

When Alex saw the cash, she narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Seriously? You just assumed I'd take the job?"

Nicky threw her head back and laughed as she walked backwards out the restaurant. "Once a con, always a con. Later Vause."

Alex thumbed through the cash which was a combination of small as well as large denominations. At least Nicky had given her some money up front which was more than she expected. With most of the cons she and Nicky had run together, Alex seemed to get screwed more often than not which sucked since Nicky actually didn't need the money they bilked from unsuspecting strangers. While Alex worked the jobs to survive, Nicky simply worked for the thrill.

* * *

Alex glanced out the window to the park across the street. She froze as she saw a familiar figure sitting on one of the benches in the morning sunlight. She looked like the girl from the other night. Her skin was hidden behind layers of grime, and her hair hung in a tangled mop of greasy blonde. If this homeless girl stood she would probably be relatively tall but with limbs as delicate as a catwalk model, snapping with a gust of wind placed just right.

"Piper." Alex whispered her name.

Alex quickly motioned the waitress over and ordered several breakfast muffins and a large to-go coffee. She tossed her money on top of Nicky's, grabbed the bag of muffins and coffee, and rushed out into the park.

She slowly approached the grimy girl sunning herself on the bench. The wind was not blowing, so it was not quite as cold as it had been the past few days. Alex stopped several feet short as she didn't want to startle the girl as her eyes were closed.

After a few moments, she spoke softly. "Hey." The girl's eyes popped open, a look of alarm crossing her face as she scooted back into the bench. A definite instant “fight or flight” mode had been triggered, and it was evident in her eyes as she grabbed her knapsack readying herself to run. "Hey, it's okay. It's me, Alex from the other night."

Piper's body relaxed some as she seemed to recognize the woman.

"Do you mind if I sit? I brought you some food." Alex showed her the bag and coffee.

Piper nodded. Alex sat on the far end of the bench and placed the food and coffee from the café between them. "It's all yours."

Piper looked at the food then looked back at Alex. She grabbed the bag and pulled out a muffin. Her eyes widened as she held it in both hands and took a nibble. After eating about half, she put the muffin back in the bag and reached for the coffee. Her body relaxed further as the warm liquid went down her throat.

"Thanks." Piper's voice was quiet and unsure. Alex just nodded. She didn't speak immediately so as to not spook the girl again. "Do you mind if I don't eat everything right now?"

"It's your food. Piper, right? I don't mind if you save it." The girl nodded as she folded up the paper bag and tucked it into her knapsack. "I'd drink the coffee while it's warm though." Alex chuckled. "Cold coffee sucks."

Alex could tell that Piper was still fairly nervous about her presence, so she decided to not overstay her welcome. "I'll let you enjoy your sunshine then. Don't let your muffins go stale." Alex flashed the ragged girl a friendly smile before leaving.

Piper watched the woman walk off. Running into her twice gave her an odd feeling, especially since Alex had been so nice to her both times. In her experience during her short period of time living on the streets, most people were not so kind to the homeless. They were more of an invisible population, better to be ignored than acknowledged.

She pulled the muffin bag back out of her sack, reached in for her partially eaten muffin and took one more small bite. Looking in the bag, she saw that two whole muffin remained. As well, something else was in the bag. Piper reached in and pulled out two $20 bills. Alex had again left her money, this time with food and coffee. The dark-haired stranger was becoming more and more of an enigma.

She returned the contents to the sack and pushed it safely into her own. Piper looked around. The unnaturally warm day had brought many of the homeless into the park in hopes of money or at least sunny warmth to shake the chill from their bones. Now it's not to say that the day was toasty, but by Chicago standards, it wasn't full blast winter.

Piper watched one particular vagrant sitting beneath a sprawling oak tree next to the walking path. He was a tattered mess of ripped clothing and muck. An oily gray mop of hair framed his gaunt face as a long gray matted beard hung down below his lower lip.

He had a Styrofoam cup just inches in front of his legs that contained only a few small coins. As people passed by, he croaked out in a weak voice. "Please. Spare change." Instead of change, he mostly received averted gazes as people made attempt to avoid his eyes. Some tried to look sympathetic but really were just using that façade to hide their disgust.

A pair of children were running along the path in front of their mother. They stopped and gawked at the broken man with wide eyes. Their mother quickened her step, grasped her kids hands and scurried off as they peppered her with questions.

"Why is the dirty man sitting on the ground Mommy?" "Can't we help him?" "Will he hurt us?"

As the children's voices faded into the distance, the man's shoulders drooped as he looked at the few sparse coins he had collected in his cup. It surely wasn't enough to put a dent in the grumblings of his belly.

Piper approached him and squatted down next to the man. "Hey, are you hungry?" He looked up at her shocked. "Here's some food." She handed him the sack that held the muffins and cash.

He vehemently shook his head as he tried to give the bag back. "I can't take your food miss. You have to be hungry, too. You don't look like you are in any better shape than me."

"It's okay. Just take it. There's a little money in there, too. Don't spend it all in one place." With that, Piper stood and walked away before the man could protest again.

From across the way, a confused Alex watched the interchange between the two down-and-out people. Why had Piper just given away not only her food but also her money?

* * *

The warmth of the day quickly faded into the chill of the night. As the sun fell below the horizon, the temperatures dropped and the Chicago wind began to chill the air even further. Piper spent some time wandering around one of the homeless camps. With her bag of belongings pulled in close to her body, she took in the sites of the people sleeping in makeshift cardboard lean-to's and warming their hands over barrels of burning rubbish.

She couldn't handle the depressing state of her fellow street people anymore and found a bus to take her back to the 65th street shelter. As long as she followed the rules and was in by curfew, she was assured a cot every night. If she was late, even by a minute, her bed would be given to any of the dozens waiting outside.

As she curled up on her cot, Piper again pulled out her journal and began to write about her day.

_I ran into Alex again. Rather, she found me in the park. I don't know how that happened. But one thing I know is that Alex is stunning. She has a sort of unpretentious look, perhaps it was because she seems to be so disarmingly unaware of her beauty. Her pale skin is completely flawless. She didn't have on make up today and I doubt she even uses expensive facial products. That doesn't seem like Alex's style. I think her skin glows from her inner beauty trying to escape._

_She seems to be all about simplicity, making things easy, helping those around her to relax. I can only imagine knowing Alex in a different life, at a different time. I can imagine her smile and laugh. I bet you wouldn't be able to help but to join her laughter. To be in her company would be to feel that you too were someone, that you had been warmed in summer rays regardless of the season._

Piper stopped writing as she stared off into space. When she regained her senses, she read what she had written and gasped in shock. Had this dark-haired woman really had that much of an effect on her? Did she really thing the woman was that enthralling or was the woman's overwhelming generosity jading her opinion

Piper chewed on the end of her pen. After contemplating her thoughts a bit longer, she finished her writing, and tucked the journal into her bag. She tossed and turned on the flimsy canvas cot trying to get comfortable. She pulled the thin shelter blanket up to her chin and went to sleep.


	3. Dreams

Alex started as she awoke in the middle of a dream. Freeing her limbs which had been tangled in the bedcovers, she sat up in bed and wiped the sweat from her face with her sheet as she tried to recall her dream. As much as she tried, her dream eluded her as most dreams do once one fully awakens.

Alex couldn't sleep so she pulled herself out of bed and padded into the kitchen. Pouring herself a glass of bourbon, she walked over to the window. She was surprised to see a light snow falling as she did not recall precipitation being the in the forecast.

Her mind drifted to Piper. Alex wondered if she had found a warm place to sleep or if she was out in the snow, freezing. She didn't know why she was drawn to this girl who was dressed in untold layers of fragmented wool clothing. A vivid image was burned in Alex's mind. Piper's hair was tied back but still clumped with grease showing signs of a long time without a proper washing.

However, Piper didn't walk like many of the homeless Alex had seen. She didn't have that unsteady shuffle with her head tucked to her chest. Nor did she have that look of hopelessness in her eyes. Fear yes, but hopeless, no. Still the same, by some unknown circumstances, Piper had come to live on the streets.

Whoever she'd been before she fell into the sub-human class, it was going to destroy her sooner rather than later. And what then? Would she have a burial with a mourning family or in a cold potter's field? Would she slip away as unnoticed as she was now? Alex downed her drink and shook her head. What was happening to her? Was she really this caught up wondering about the life of a homeless girl she had seen but twice on the street?

Deciding to again try to conquer sleep, Alex returned to bed and pulled the covers up to her chest. She lay for a while thinking about the girl who called herself Piper. Eventually she turned over, closed her eyes, and wished for a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Piper slept a little later than usual and awoke to the dorm mother giving a fifteen-minute warning for all the residents to be out of the building. This shelter did not allow its guests to stay in house during the day. There were different sections of the facility, but the dorms were closing soon so they could be cleaned.

Piper dug through her bag in search of her cleanest shirt to put next to her skin. She was tiring of the grime that never ceased to seep into her pores. Instinctively she covered her mouth as she began to cough. The deep rattling noise in her chest when she breathed was beginning to become worrisome.

"Girl, you need to get that checked out." A large dark-skinned woman shuffled past her with her belongings. "You gonna get pneumonia and die out there. If yous gots a way to get there, the free clinic on 83rd and Smith will hook you right up."

"Thanks." Piper managed to say through the coughs now wracking her body. She made a mental note of which bed belonged to this woman. Piper gathered her things and barely made it out of the dorm before getting admonished by the dorm mother.

Outside, she stood in a protective doorway while she dug her bag of change out of her clothes again. She mentally calculated how much fare she needed, dug out the proper amount, and tucked the bag safely in its hiding space. She wasn't looking forward to riding the bus again. The daylight made it even harder to get on because there were more people. But damn it, she had as much of a right as anyone else. After another altercation with a bus driver and heavier glares by some fellow riders, Piper was soon on her way to the clinic to see about treatment for her heavy cough.

* * *

Alex awoke the next morning fresh and excited for the day ahead, the previous night's dream long forgotten. After a quick shower, she decided to return to the diner where she and Nicky had breakfast the previous day. She tried to tell herself it was because she liked their pancakes, but deep down inside she hoped to see Piper again.

Readying for the Chicago cold, she bundled up again. In her backpack, she stuffed her laptop, a notebook and writing utensils. At the last minute, she rolled up an old hoodie and stuffed in in the bag as well. As she made the quick jog the diner, she glanced through the park for signs of the blonde girl. She had been lucky twice before and was hoping for a third time.

Alex ordered a huge breakfast, perhaps unconsciously more than she knew she could eat. Ignoring her laptop, she pulled out her pad of paper and a pencil while waiting for her food to arrive. Staring out the window at now empty park bench, she began to sketch. She drew a figure hunched over as if bracing herself from the wind.

When the waitress brought her meal, Alex was halfway done with her second sketch and completed it before stopping. Her overcoat was draped over the chair across from her. And her scarf and beanie were haphazardly piled on the other side of the table. Alex looked at her first drawing of the obviously cold woman juxtaposed with her second sketch of the warm clothes arbitrarily tossed aside. She couldn't quite identify the feeling that brought her. Shame perhaps? She had so much while Piper had so little.

Alex breathed in deeply and let out a long sigh. Closing her pad and setting it aside, she dug into the bounty of food which only caused her to feel guiltier. Her stomach was getting filled with warm, nutritious food when who only knew when Piper would eat her next meal. Alex was deep in thought as she ate and actually finished more of the food than she thought she could. She must have been hungrier than she realized.

As she was done eating, a thought struck her. Alex was almost giddy as she stacked her breakfast plates and pushed them aside to make room for her laptop. Opening the lid, she fired up the power and launched her browser to start making searches. She flipped to a clean page in her notebook and started making furious notes as she searched from page to page.

* * *

The wait in the free clinic was long, but Piper didn't mind because she was out of the sharp Chicago wind. Despite her coughing, she didn't feel quite as miserable as she did in the cold. When her time to go back arrived, a nurse with kind eyes and a gentle touch guided her to a room.

"You can undress if you like. We have some clean clothes we can give you." Piper shook her head. "It will make you feel better." Piper again refused as more coughs rattled her body. The nurse took her vitals as best she could around the bulky clothing. She seemed used to the quirky ways of the street people.

After a bit more waiting, a physician's assistant came in and introduced himself. He listened to her chest and peered into her eyes. When he was done with his exam, he shook his head as he made his notes. "I'm glad you came in. A few more days out in this weather and you would have come down with pneumonia. I'm going to have the nurse come back in and give you an antibiotic shot and a prescription. You should be feeling better in no time."

Another round of coughs wracked Piper's body. The doctor looked shocked and again listened to her chest. "How about you stay for a breathing treatment as well? Do you have a place to sleep out of the cold?"

Piper nodded. "The shelter over on 65th. As long as I'm back in time for curfew." The PA nodded and left the room.

Soon the nurse returned. Piper took a few minutes of convincing to bare her arm for the injection but eventually gave in. She settled into the chair for her breathing treatment. Once that was over, the nurse pressed a bottle of pills into her hand. "Do NOT sell these. They are antibiotics and nobody can get high off of them anyway. You have to take them all as prescribed or this nasty bug might come back. Understand?" Piper tucked the pills into her bag, nodded, and left the clinic.

* * *

 

Ignoring the stench rolling off of the thin girl, Alex looped her bag over her shoulder and gently lifted the girl to cradle her in her arms. This was the closest she had ever actually been to Piper. As she peered at the face peeking out from the layers of cloth wrapped in an attempt to keep the heat from escaping her head, Alex realized that this was not a girl she had been talking to but a young woman. A young woman with striking features beneath the dirt and grunge caked on her skin.

She had gone in search of Piper, wandering the streets around the areas which she had seen her. It was pure fortune that she had stumbled across Piper who was tucked in the crevice of a closed business door and unresponsive to Alex's voice or gentle prods. Alex could hear Piper's breath rattling in her chest with each gasp of air. Fortunately, she was light and Alex was not far from home.

Piper was still limp and non-verbal when Alex got her into the warm apartment and placed her on the couch. Alex sat across from Piper and stared at her, trying to decide what to do. Up close, beneath the street grime and grease, Alex could tell that the young woman with tattered clothes and greasy hair was once very pretty. Having not come to a decision about what to do, she covered Piper with a warm quilt.

* * *

 

Alex awoke with a start and almost knocked her laptop off the diner's table. She felt the drool that had pooled in the corners of her mouth and wiped her lips with a napkin from the dispenser. She looked around her, realizing that she had fallen asleep at the table where she had eaten breakfast.

She heard a chuckle from across the café and looked over to see that the waitress was laughing at her. "You were dreaming pretty hard there pretty lady."

Alex's face flushed in embarrassment. She shut down her laptop and slid it along with her notebook into her backpack. Slinging it over her shoulder, she walked about to her apartment contemplating the meaning of the vivid dream she had just experienced. Unlike the dream she had the previous night, this one was quite memorable. It was eerie that Piper was so embedded into her thoughts and had now invaded her dreams.

Alex pulled her laptop out of the bag and left it on her desk. She shoved a few more warm clothes in its place as well as a few boxes of granola bars she had in the pantry. She pulled out her phone and texted Nicky.

[Get your lazy ass up Nichols. I'll be there in ten.~A]

She didn't wait on a response before heading over to pick up her friend.

* * *

Alex banged on the door to Nicky's apartment. She was frustrated that Nicky had not responded to her text. She dialed Nicky's phone and heard a faint ringing from inside the dwelling. She banged on the door again. "I know you are home bitch. I can hear your phone. Let me in before your fancy neighbors get pissed. I'm not going away."

Soon Alex heard an approaching voice. "Okay, okay, geesh Vause. Who pissed in your Post Toasties?" The door swung open and a cloud of marijuana smoke literally floated out of the front room.

Alex waved her hand in front of her face to clear the air as she stepped in. "Fuck Nichols. What's up with you?" She went over and raised a few windows in attempt to clear the air. When she turned around, Nicky was settled on the couch taking a long toke from a hand rolled fatty.

"Here." Nicky giggled as she tried to pass the joint to Alex.

Alex pushed it away. "Seriously Nicky. We are trying to save your inheritance and here you are stoned off your gourd."

Nicky took another toke and shook her finger at Alex. "Correction.  **You**  are trying to save my money. I hired you to do the job remember?" She offered the joint to Alex again who again refused it. "Suit yourself."

"God Nic. I came over here because I need your help. I have some places to visit and don't want to go alone."

"How much are you paying me?" Nicky bent over in guffaws of laughter at her own joke.

"Forget it useless stoner. I'll do it myself." Alex got up, stomped to the door and let herself out.


	4. Volunteer Time

Alex was still sort of pissed at Nicky who had refused to help. Yeah, she was paying Alex pretty good money to do her bidding, but at some point, Nicky would have to get involved and take responsibility. There is no way they could pull off conning her mom if Nicky didn't understand what good deed "she" was doing. At least Alex knew the deal now – don't expect Nicky's help until it was absolutely the last minute. Funny thing is, Alex had started because of the paycheck and now she was becoming vested because of the purpose. Serendipity.

She looked at the list of homeless shelters she had printed from online. Alex decided to focus on the two that were fairly close to where she lived, the 32nd and 65th street shelters. She stepped into a bank and cashed out some of Nicky’s advance money into lower denomination bills. She saved the withdrawal slip, noting for what the withdrawal was for and slipped it into her wallet. Nicky had promised to pay expenses, so Alex was going to hold her to that. Stopping at the store, she bought a slew of granola bars which she dumped into a deep pocket of her overcoat. The cash was tucked into her jeans pocket where she could withdraw only a bill at a time.

As she walked towards the first shelter, she watched all around her, her eyes seeing things, people rather than had been invisible to her before. The street people had never really caught her attention. Previously she had just ignored the panhandlers, stepped over the drunks laying on the sidewalk, and took a wide berth around the toothless crazies spouting their preachings. Now she did not walk past these people. She stopped at each one and offered them a granola bar and a five-dollar bill. While some spat at her and threw the food in her face, most were extremely gracious.

The front doors to the shelter were locked, but a sign denoted that deliveries should be made at the side entrance. Alex followed the arrow around the building to industrial double doors. She tugged on one of the doors and found that it was open. As she let herself in, she heard a voice come from a distant room. "We aren't open. You know that. Come back at five for dinner."

Alex walked in the direction of the voice and found a woman with deep red hair sitting at an office desk. Alex knocked. "Excuse me."

"I said get out!" The woman roared as she spun around in her rickety wooden office chair. When her eyes landed on Alex, they softened. "Oh. I'm sorry. I thought you were one of my customers trying to get an early meal." Her voice had a strong Russian accent. She looked Alex up and down. "I trust by your clothing that you aren't one of my customers. What do you want?" Her voice was still sharp.

"Ummm," Alex stuttered. "My name is Alex Vause. I wanted to know a little more about your operations here and couldn't find out much online, so I just came down."

The woman stared at Alex a few moments then said, "I'm Galina, but you can call me Red. They say I'm the cook here, but I'm more of the operations manager. What questions do you have?"

The two talked for a while with Red eventually warming up to Alex's presence as well as her questions. "Do you know what we need more of right now Alex? Volunteers. I never seem to have enough of them." Alex nodded. "Well Alex, as nice as it has been talking to you, I must get to work now. Soon I will have about a hundred and fifty hungry mouths to feed and the food doesn't cook itself."

Alex nodded. "Red… would you like some … help? I can stay."

Red huffed. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

Piper barely made it back to the shelter before curfew. While the breathing treatments had helped her cough subside some, she still felt like shit. Despite the rational part of her brain telling her she needed fuel for her body to heal, she didn't feel like eating. She simply curled up in bed and drifted off to sleep.

She only slept for about an hour before she woke up with sweats and chills. She pulled her blanket tightly around her to try to keep her body heat in and willed herself to go back to sleep. Then she remembered she hadn't taken her antibiotics. Recalling the insistence of the nurse that she take the pills exactly as prescribed, she dug them out of her bag.

After a few attempts at removing the childproof cap, she shook out a capsule and dry swallowed it. She recapped the container and went to place it back into her bag when a someone grabbed her wrist with a firm grip. "Whatcha got there bitch?"

"N-n-nothing." Piper felt the sharp tip of some sort of a blade pressing against her side through her layers of clothing. "They're antibiotics to help me get better," Piper coughed. "You can't get high off them. I swear." Her voice betrayed her terror.

The woman laughed menacingly. "We'll see about that bitch." After a short struggle, she wrenched the bottle of drugs from Piper's grasp and disappeared into the dark dorm.

A despondent Piper was so weak from the coughing, the trip to the clinic, and the meds that she didn't chase after the woman. Besides, she would probably only come on the short end of battling with a woman with a knife. She just fell back onto her cot, pulled her covers around her and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Alex dragged herself into her home, exhausted from her evening of work at Red's shelter. She fell onto her bed without even kicking off her shoes. Red wasn't joking when she said how much work it took to just feed the people who showed up as well as maintain the fifty beds they kept open every night. The organizational feat was amazing.

She also got an idea of how much money was required for the shelter to keep its doors open. The city only provided a measly portion of the budget. For the rest, Red depended on donations from community members and companies. When Alex asked her about the outreach organizations she had begun to research, Red had openly scoffed.

"Those establishments aren't worth the paper their stationery is printed on. People donate their money because of the name recognition; but very little of the cash actually trickles down to the needy as most is consumed by organizational operating costs and administrative salaries." Red sounded thoroughly disgusted.

Alex's heart sank as Red's words sank in. The longer she thought about it, the more she was convinced she had found Nicky's cause. Now she just had to figure out how to make that happen where a real difference could be made. She couldn't just have Nicky throw cash at a problem because obviously that wouldn't make an impact. And frankly why have a cause unless you initiate change?

* * *

"Girl, I said girl. You gotta get up. Morning curfew is in ten minutes." The woman who had told Piper about the clinic the day before was shaking her cot. "The dorm mother doesn't abide by any lateness in her shelter."

Piper rolled over as a coughing fit shook her body.

"I thought I told you to get your white ass to the clinic."

Piper's voice was ragged and gravelly. "I did."

"Well…"

"I got an injection and a breathing treatment. But someone stole my antibiotics last night?"

"Who? What'd they look like?"

"Dunno, it was dark. Don't worry about me. I feel better today." A deep breath made Piper start coughing again.

"Sure you do little missy. Don't believe  _that_  for a minute. I'll see if I can find your pills. Meanwhile get up and get out of here. Pronto. I'll tell the dorm mother you are running a few minutes late. You don't cause no trouble and yous sick. She'll cut you some slack." The woman got up to leave and turned back to Piper. "My name is Taystee. I hang around the encampment that's about two blocks north of here, 63rd street. You come find me around noon."

"Thanks Taystee. I'm Piper."

Piper slowly pulled herself out of bed, got dressed for the day, and gathered her belongings. She eyed the shelter blanket on her bed. Her mind flashed to the brutal winds outside and then decided to roll the blanket as small as possible and stuff it into her bag. The extra warmth in the wild Chicago wind would be a blessing.

As she headed out the door, the dorm mother stopped her. Her eyes were full of pity, but her voice was strong. "I'm sorry Piper." She reached for Piper's bag and pulled out the blanket. "I know you are sick, but if we let everyone take the blankets, we won't have any left. We don't exactly have funds to replace them. You'll have to leave this here. This is your first infraction, but if you break the rules again, I'm afraid you'll have to find another place to sleep."

Piper simply nodded as she saw the woman confiscate her hopes of a spare layer against the cold, turned and tucked her chin into her layers of clothes and trudged off.

* * *

Having her mind made up about Nicky's good deed after volunteering in Red's shelter, Alex still wanted to make sure she had a good picture of how another Chicago shelter was run. She was fairly confident after that she would have collected enough information to start working on solutions.

Red had told her that, amazingly enough, one need that people did not donate enough of was socks. Socks were vital to not only keep the clients' feet warm but also dry, especially in the winter. Nothing felt nicer than a fresh pair of socks. Alex went by a department store and purchased a slew of thick socks. Into each pair, she stuffed two granola bars and a $5 bill. All of that went into a large bag then she set off to the 65th street shelter which was a little further from her home.

As Alex got close to the shelter, the density of street people increased. Many people were hanging out because that's where they slept at night while others ate regular meals there. Alex didn't just hand out pairs of socks, she squatted or sat on the ground and had a conversation with the people who would actually talk to her. Many flat out ignored her while others craved the attention. But one thing was the same. When Alex gave them the socks with food and money, their eyes lit up like Christmas.

Alex was having difficulty finding the delivery entrance to this place and paused to look around her surroundings. She scanned her surroundings and the people milling about. A stooped figure caught her attention, a familiar woman shuffling towards the neighborhood. "Piper!" Alex immediately called out and began trotting towards her acquaintance. The woman glanced behind her and sped up her pace, turning the corner. By the time Alex had reached the corner, the woman was gone.

She could have sworn it had been Piper. But why would have the woman run from her? Alex's concerns for Piper were increasing because she had not seen the woman in almost a week. After running into her twice in two days, not seeing her any at all bothered her. Now, Alex's frustrations with not being able to find the shelter entrance were compounded by Piper's apparent avoidance, if that indeed was Piper. She had to determine why she felt so absolutely drawn to this homeless woman before it drove her insane.

Eventually, Alex was able to gain entrance to the building. The older gentleman, Justin, running this building was as gruff as Red but soon lightened up when he heard Alex's probing questions. Because of her conversation with Red and subsequent research, she had a better list of questions today.

Her inquiries were specific as to what donations were needed at the shelter, what services could be used, and what outside organizations were the most and least helpful. Justin spoke not only specifically about his shelter but about Chicago's street people in general. His responses were helpful in helping Alex clarify the problems as well as possible solutions.

After talking for quite some time, Alex noticed the time. "I've kept you from you job long enough. How about I stay and help with your afternoon and evening meals?" A shocked Justin was certainly welcome of the extra set of hands for the soup kitchen.

* * *

Piper spent most of her morning curled up in an alley next to a dumpster. She had missed breakfast because she woke up late and had very little energy on top of being sick. Frankly, she didn't feel like moving much at all, and the large trash bin blocked the wind. Sleeping off and on, Piper found herself feeling worse as the morning continued. Without a watch to judge the time, she estimated it was fairly close to noon time, so she dragged herself to her feet and set off to find the homeless camp.

She began looking around for Taystee as soon as she got to the camp. The trash barrels were still burning like eternal flames with people warming themselves over them. Piper normally avoided looking at people so as to maintain her own privacy as well as the other people. Yet now she found herself searching for someone who might let her warm herself by his fire while she looked for her friend.

"Yo Piper," a familiar voice called from her right. "Get over here." Piper glanced over and was relieved to see Taystee standing with a small group of people. She shuffled over and held her hands over the fire, embracing the warmth now coursing through her thoroughly chilled body.

Taystee introduced the people around the fire then reached down and grabbed one young girl by the scruff of her gray hooded sweatshirt. "And this…," she said yanking the girl to her feet, "is Trish."

Piper eyed the young girl with dirty blonde hair braided in corn rows. She also had a series of tattoos running down her throat. Taystee shoved Trish towards Piper a bit. "And Trish has something she would like to say to you, right Trish?" Taystee let go of Trish's hoodie and crossed her arms.

Trish ducked her head. "Yeah, ummm, I'm sorry," she said in a low voice. She looked at Taystee who was still frowning and spoke louder. "It was me who took your stash, I mean your medicine." She looked back at the ground. Taystee whacked her on the back of the head. "Ow Taystee." Taystee opened her eyes wide and nodded towards Piper. "Here." Trish held her closed hand out to Piper then dropped a prescription bottle into Piper's palm. "I'm sorry. I really am."

Piper looked at the pill bottle, opened it, and counted the pills.

"I didn't take any. I swear." Trish was jittery as she bounced from foot to foot. "When I realized they were antibiotics like you said, I figured I'd just sell them to someone who was sick. Then Taystee here caught wind of my act."

Piper looked at the larger woman. "Thanks Taystee. I appreciate it." She shook a pill out and dry swallowed it. Trish offered her a half bottle of water which Piper accepted to wash the pill down. Piper nodded to Trish in a manner of acceptance of her apology.

Piper spent the rest of the afternoon with Taystee and her friends. They split some sandwiches someone had gotten from the shelter. Being around the other people lifted Piper's spirits. She actually… felt part of a family. It was a somewhat dysfunctional family, but belonging to something is better than belonging to nothing.

* * *

 

As soon as the lunch rush was over, the kitchen volunteers began preparations for the evening meal. While lunch was normally light, most often sandwiches and soup, they tried to make dinner a heavier meal. Something to stick to the ribs to not only warm up their customers but to give them something to keep fueling their body through the night. Particularly because not all the customers dining at the soup kitchen were residents, heartier meals were needed. They were out in the cold at night and needed the calories.

Tonight's meal was typical: spaghetti and mashed potatoes. There was always fresh fruit to go along with any meal in an attempt to slip more nutrition in the customer's bodies. While this was often served, it was an inexpensive choice to feed the hungry mouths. Sometimes they were fortunate to have real potatoes but more often than not, they dealt with instant. However, nobody dared to complain about the hot food warming their bellies.

Alex was definitely not used to being on her feet so much, but she certainly did not gripe. Her aches and pains were nothing compared the hardships these people faced. The line was running low on fruit, so she went to the kitchen to quickly cut up more. Soon she returned with a pan of apples to dump in the fruit bin.

As she looked up, her eyes connected with a pair of very familiar blue eyes. Piper looked agitated and Alex dared not say a word. She let the grungy blonde get her food and watched as she sat in a vacant corner trying to stifle deep coughs as she picked through the food on her plate. When there was a break in the serving line, Alex made her way over to try to talk to Piper. But Piper wasn't having any of it. She took one look at Alex approaching, cleaned up her area and ran to the dorms.


	5. Blizzard's A'Comin'

By the time Alex got home, she was equally exhausted as she had been before after working with Red and 32nd street the night before. This time she was a little more dejected because of Piper's rejection. That morning, she thought that Piper had run away from her, ignoring her shouts… if it was even Piper to begin with. Yet this evening at dinner, there was no mistaking it was Piper, and it was quite obvious that she flat out did not want to talk to Alex.

This shabby woman had been in her every waking thought as well as most of her dreams. After seeing how sick Piper appeared to be, Alex became even more concerned. All she wanted to do was to help Piper. But she didn't seem to trust Alex a bit despite all the help she had tried to provide. The situation was frustrating beyond belief. Why was Piper rejecting her, and more importantly, how could she get through to this woman?

Nonetheless Alex still wanted to move forward with her plans to help Nicky keep her inheritance. Street people were a huge problem in the city, and obvious gaps existed in services provided by the city and the private sector. This is where Nicky's money stepped in or more precisely Nicky's mother's money.

"And now to our own meteorologist Nancy Williams, Nancy." Alex had the television turned on to the news for background noise while she ate her own dinner.

"ChiCAGO is turning into ChiBERIA. It's getting cold out there folks thanks to La Niña, the wintery counterpart to steamy El Niño. Our winter season's first massive blizzard is predicted to hit tomorrow." This caught Alex's attention as she turned up the volume. "Expect anywhere from 18-30 inches of snowfall to be dumped on the city within the next few days. Chicago area schools have already announced closures, and Chicago O'Hare airport is ramping up to prepare for the weather headed our way."

Alex's eyes were glued on the TV as the weather forecast continued. Finally, the meteorologist wrapped things up. "Bring those plants and pets inside and make sure you stock up on food, water, and flashlights. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a deck of cards handy, too. Sam, back to you."

Fuck. She was upset at Piper's behavior today. Why? She didn't have a clue. But news of the gigantic snow storm that was about to hit freaked her out. She  _had_  to help Piper. Or anyone for all that mattered. There's no way that frail, coughing woman would make it even one night with up to two feet of snow fall. Grabbing her coat, she wrapped herself in many layers and traipsed out into the building storm.

* * *

The approaching storm was all anyone at the shelter and out on the streets could talk about. Taystee had joined Piper on her cot to visit and to keep the sick girl company. "What about all the people who can't get a bed Taystee? What happens to them?"

"Well girl, many live in the tent cities like we were in today. Or if homeless care enough to go, the city does set up emergency shelters like in school gymnasiums and stuff. But those places have some pretty strict rules, even worse than here. Most of our kind don't like going there. Sometimes the police will round people up and force them to stay under threat of arrest."

Piper was aghast. "The cops would really throw them in jail? That sounds pretty harsh."

Taystee chuckled. "Really Piper, they are just trying to keep everyone alive. The fewer bodies they have to deal with when the city thaws out is the best."

"Bodies? People could die?" Piper turned her nose up when Taystee nodded. "How many are we talking about?" She covered her mouth with her arm as she coughed.

"Nobody knows. You think the city is going to release the real number of dead homeless people? They might have to admit we exist first." Taystee was quite bitter. "They city doesn't see us as humans. You know, I had a decent home once, a job. Hell I even had health insurance. But then the economy went all to hell and I was laid off. I lost my subsidized apartment, everything and here I am. Regular street scrum."

"No you aren't Taystee. You are a person, not scum. You are someone. Just wait and see. One of these days, your life will turn back around."

* * *

Alex knew her goal was to find Piper. Yet she also was cognizant that the homeless rarely talked to strangers. She made a quick stop at a supply store to pick up some cold weather basics. She filled her cart with thermal underwear, insulated beanies, extra-thick socks, disposable hand-warmers, and wool blankets. She also bought several boxes of energy bars and a case of water.

After she checked out, she took some time to arrange her cart so she could easily access needed items as she talked to people. She then took off towards where she had last seen Piper, the shelter on 65th. Alex walked slowly once she got closer and began looking for people. Some were huddled in the eaves of buildings while others were curled up in alleyways. She spent the evening trying to describe Piper as best she could in hopes that someone would know where Piper could be found. No luck on finding the girl, but the people who accepted the supplies were grateful.

Alex came across one camp that was situated below a highway. Tents lined the fence; people were huddled in sleeping bags under torn cardboard. Shopping carts full of various junk were haphazardly parked against the fence. Mattresses, coolers, bike frames and other bits of garbage littered the ground. People were huddled around burning barrels.

As she pushed her own cart through the rubble, one young girl piped up. "Yo bitch. You dressed too nice to be pushing a cart in our town." She got up and approached Alex threateningly. "Whachu gots there?" She peered into the cart and saw some of the items remaining from Alex's purchase. She started to reach into the cart in an effort to grab things.

Alex walked around the cart and blocked the girl's way. "Wait just a minute pipsqueak." She was easily six inches taller than the homeless girl who wisely backed away. "I'm looking for someone." She described Piper.

The rough, tattooed girl thought for a minute and laughed menacingly. "Yeah, I seen her."

Alex's hopes soared. "Where is she? Do you know where she spends the night?"

"Girl, the hussie is homeless. Who knows?" The girl eyed the contents in the cart and considered her options. "But I might know something. What's it worth?"

"Plenty."

"She's friends with Taystee. They stay at the shelter over on 65th last I know. I got kicked out today for stealing things." The young girl pulled her threadbare sweater closer around her, shivering like the cold had buried its fierce claws into her bones.

Alex's heart went out to the young girl, and if she trusted what the girl had said, she had been helpful. Alex loaded her up with goods from the cart and pressed some money in her hand. "Stay warm the best you can. And thanks for the information."

The ragged homeless girl called out after Alex. "She's pretty sick you know. She probably won't make it much longer, with the storm coming and all." With that, the young girl turned and walked off.

The odd girl's parting words struck fear in Alex's heart. That's exactly what she feared, Piper not making it. With that, she headed to the shelter, distributing the remaining items to the people who were obviously not going to have proper shelter for the upcoming blizzard.

By the time she reached the shelter, all the doors were locked tightly – even the service entrance she had used when she talked to Justin and volunteered earlier that day. Dejected, Alex headed to the small market close to her home and stocked up on personal things for her apartment then headed home.

* * *

Piper awoke the next morning feeling much better than she had when she had gone to sleep the previous night. Her cough seemed to be getting better, and her energy level was up. Looking around the dorm, she realized that most of the other women were gone. She got dressed and made her way to Taystee's cot and found her friend reading a tattered magazine.

"I thought you'd never wake up girl. Let's go get some grub before they stop serving." Taystee grabbed her bag and pulled Piper towards the dining room.

"What?" Piper was confused.

"It's nearly ten am my sickly friend. I be pissed if I don't get to eat."

Piper stalled, a terrified look crossing her face. "But morning curfew was nine."

"Not when there is twenty inches of snow on the ground! We get to stay in all day until the weather clears up. The rules are a little different, but they don't make us got out in conditions like this. Even more snow is coming tonight. The day rooms are open. Mealtimes are extended. And most importantly the dorms are open. You are responsible for cleaning your own area. I'll show you where to exchange your bedding."

Taystee was almost giddy at not having to face the weather. After they ate their fill at breakfast, she tried to cajole Piper into the dayroom for a game of checkers. Piper begged off claiming that she still felt pretty worn down and wanted to go back to her cot and rest.

After making it back to the dorm without her new friend, Piper sat her bag down, looping one strap under her cot let so nobody could steal it. She dug around a bit and pulled out her journal and pen. She spent a while reading through some of her older entries. She then spent some time catching her writings up to date to cover the time she had been ill.

She also wrote about… Alex. Imagine her surprise to see the dark-haired woman in the courtyard the morning before then again at dinner. She didn't think Alex saw her the first time so she scurried down a side street despite Alex calling out her name. She hid behind some boxes in an alley, and fortunately Alex didn't find her. But there was no denying Alex saw her at dinner. When Alex approached the table at which she was sitting, Piper freaked out and scurried out of the dining room.

She wasn't sure why she was suddenly avoiding the woman who had been nothing but nice to her. She chalked the experience up to nerves. But one thing was for sure, Alex was definitely in her thoughts. Too much perhaps. Once she had finished writing, Piper tucked her journal back into her bag then stretched out on her cot in an attempt to catch up on the sleep she had missed during her nights filled with fevers and coughs.

* * *

Alex awoke the next morning to a blanket of white. She could hear the chugging of the snow plows as they made their way up and down the streets, clearing the streets for the fools who drove in this weather and burying cars whose drivers were ignorant enough to ignore the snow lane parking signs. Those owners would spend hours digging those vehicles out of the mounds of snow pushed atop them by the plows. The costs of living in a snow bound city such as Chicago.

Thankful of the groceries she has purchased the night before, Alex fixed herself a pot of coffee and a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Chill bumps raised on her arms like sandpaper as she just looked out the window. The warm food would help stave off the cold that managed to seep in through the edges of the windows.

She flipped on the morning news to keep her company while she ate. The storm that had passed through the area had indeed dumped close to twenty inches of snow overnight. Even in a city adept to heavy snowfall such as Chicago, such a large amount in such a short period was near debilitating. However, experience allowed the city to quickly recover.

There was no use trying to get out today because of the massive amounts of snow lining the sidewalks and streets. After finishing her breakfast, Alex grabbed her laptop and a cozy blanket so she could curl up on the couch to work on her Nicky-project as she fondly called it. She was hoping that her ideas would something that Marka thought worthy – for sake of the homeless as well as Nicky's fortune. Alex was honestly beginning to believe that she cared for more for the cause than the personal payoff.

* * *

 

Piper woke from her nap even more refreshed than before. She shuffled to the day room joining Taystee and the other women who were playing games and watching to TV hanging on one wall. The news station talked about the continuing snowfall and expected totals before the next morning. This was definitely one of those century storms people would be talking about for years to come. Soon the women tired of the depressing weather news and found a station with a game show.

Piper beat a few of the women in checkers then Taystee schooled her in dominos. "That's not fair Taystee. I've never played dominos before." Piper was regretting the confident bet she had made at the new game.

Taystee chuckled. "Not my fault blondie. I get your fruit tonight at dinner."

Piper went to the shelf and started digging through the ragged boxes of games. "Ahhhh yes. Let's try this out." She returned to the table and plopped down a chess set. "Here is a game you need to learn. Exercise your mind." The next hour or two were spent teaching Taystee and some of the others the basics of the strategy game.

Eventually the day room cleared out as women made their way to the chow hall for dinner. Piper stayed behind to put the chess game up and to straighten some of the other games left haphazardly around the room. She looked around, flipped off the TV, and left the day room.

Taystee approached Piper's cot and kicked the legs to wake the sleeping woman. "Wake up sleeping not beauty. Yous gots about fifteen minutes for they close the dinner line, and I want a banana – yours for that dominos game I beat you in! Don't welch on your bet!"

"What!?" An extremely pissed off Hispanic woman flipped over on the cot. "Don't you see I'm sleeping? Have some respect bitch." She turned back and covered her head with her arms in an attempt to go back to sleep.

Taystee was taken aback, looking around to make sure that this was indeed Piper's area. She checked all of the cots in the area, no Piper. She didn't know to be pissed or worried. Taystee had just began to be fond of Piper's company. She went to the night dorm mother.

"Hey – I'm looking for Piper. The girl in cot nineteen." Taystee motioned to the general area.

The woman looked down her list. "Nope. That cot isn't assigned to Piper anymore."

"What the fuck Linda? Did she get in trouble?" The dorm mother shook her head. "Then where the hell is she?"

Linda pointed towards the door. "She left." After looking at her watch she added, "about half an hour ago."

"IN A FUCKING BLIZZARD?! She just left. Where did she say she was going?" Taystee was angry as well as panicking.

"I don't know Taystee. My job isn't to ask. I just am glad to have an extra bed tonight. The weather is getting worse."

"No shit it's getting worse! That girl has no experience on the street and she's sick. She'll never make it, through the night." Taystee eyed the exit thinking of chasing after her new acquaintance.

"I wouldn't try. It's way too cold out there, and you will never make it back before curfew. Don't let a newbie's mistake cost you warmth and a bed."

Taystee dejectedly trudged back to her own area to mourn the possible loss of her new friend with always a wise word and a love of chess. She could only wonder if she would ever see Piper again.

* * *

 

Alex pulled herself out of bed and peered out at the fresh snow that had fallen overnight. She watched as the snow plows followed their routine of clearing the roads and again burying cars whose drivers were stupid enough to leave them in the snow lanes again. "It's going to be a long winter," Alex muttered to herself. She flipped on the television as she went about her morning ritual.

"At least half a dozen people were found dead this morning in a homeless encampment near the 65th shelter. With no end in sight for the brutal weather, all the area's regular and emergency shelters have been overflowing for two days. Police have not yet identified the people. Hear more in our six o'clock broadcast."

Alex whipped back to the television. Grabbing her DVR remote, she rewound the broadcast to the beginning of that segment and played it again. Her heart dropped as she realize that the people had probably been found at the camp she visited. What if the weird girl hadn't been right? What if Piper hadn't made it back to the shelter? Or simply hadn't made it at all?

Alex ran to her bathroom and unceremoniously lost all of her breakfast she had just eaten. What if one of those six dead people… was Piper?


	6. Chicago Homeless Symposium

**_ABOUT A WEEK POST-BLIZZARD_ **

Alex silently slipped into an empty seat at the back of the auditorium. Most of the attendees were seated forward, in the seats towards the front. In the brochure she had picked up at registration, she looked at the description of the keynote speaker and various breakout sessions for the Chicago Homeless Symposium. Government leaders called the symposium and invited not only area businessmen and trend setters but also persons who had implemented innovative solutions in other large metropolitan areas.

The keynote speaker for the was about halfway through his presentation of facts regarding the homeless issue in Chicago as well as other major cities. Alex found herself zoning out with all the particulars of the numbers. She  _knew_  there was a problem, but she wanted to hear about solutions to the problem, how was the city planning on solving this crisis or at least easing the burden of the issue on the people directly affected.

Alex stretched out her long legs across the back of the empty seat in front of her and let her mind float back to the elusive homeless girl who had been invading her mind and evading her attempts to assist. The snow storm had struck about a week ago, and she relentlessly searched for Piper. She even went back to the tent city. There, she found Taystee and learned that Piper had left the shelter sometime before night of the second heavy snow fall. Alex's desperate searches were fruitless, and she felt almost heartbroken at not being able to help the young woman out of her situation. An unbreakable hold seemed to be on her heart for this wayward person.

She was unconsciously clenching and unclenching her fists as her frustration built at the talking head at the front of the auditorium who wasn't saying a damned thing about how to help these people. "Bureaucrats," Alex muttered to herself as she shifted in her seat.

Eventually the speaker was done babbling and the attendees were invited to join various breakout sessions, the descriptions of which were listed in the brochure. Alex was disheartened yet hopeful that not all the speakers would be as dull and dry as this man had been. Her eyes landed on one session that looked particularly interesting.  _Life through the Eyes of the Homeless: My Experiences on the Streets of Chicago_ ,  _P. Chapman_  The description summarized the speaker's Urban Studies graduate project as he lived a month on the streets of Chicago in the winter.

Alex's interest was piqued. Perhaps this person had something valuable to offer with direct experiences. She located the room and took a seat. The stage darkened before the speaker came out. A soft female's voice drifted through the room.

"I have a story to tell. I don't only want you to listen, but I'd also like for you to feel. Close your eyes and use your imagination. Go ahead. Shut your eyes." Alex felt silly but obeyed when she realized others had their eyes closed.

When most of the audience members had complied, the lecturer began speaking again. "The girl bent over; the cough that had lingered since the end of fall was worsening with every passing day. At times she broke her own rules and made eye contact with passersby in the desperate hope that they would take pity on her. More times than not, they flinched, moving away until they could safely redirect their eyes to the sidewalk or the person walking next to them."

"While the weather was now headed towards spring, it was still in the depths of the frigid, wet winter. The girl's body grew colder and the raspy rattle in her chest worsened. This gasping noise was unfamiliar among any but to those who lived on the street. These were the ones who didn't last much longer. To think of her own fate cast the girl into an emotional blackness she couldn't fight."

"Her mind searched for a pleasant memory, something to cling to, but her consciousness was focused only on the bad. Folks say you can't die of a broken heart, but isn't that what happens when we have no love? Isn't love the only thing we can't live without other than shelter, food and water?"

As the speaker paused, people in the audience begin to open their eyes and let her words sink in. The silence was powerful. "What I'm saying is that the city and shelters can provide the basics for our homeless, but it is only when we truly touch their lives will we make a difference."

As Alex had opened her eyes, she curiously studied the woman at the front of the room who seemed oddly familiar. Alex just couldn't place where she knew her from. She continued to stare, running the woman's features through her mind trying to determine why she looked so relatable. Alex looked down at the program to re-read the session description.

"For the next forty-five minutes, I would like to share my story and experiences with you. My name is Piper Chapman, and I… was homeless."

Alex's head whipped up and her mouth dropped open as realization hit her like a brick. "Piper," she gasped.

* * *

**_FIVE WEEKS EARLIER_ **

While Piper was layering her clothes in preparation for the upcoming winter, Polly was shoving vital things into a knapsack. "Stop it Polly. I don't want to take all of that with me."

"Don't be silly; you are going to need it. Those clothes aren't going to keep you warm. I've put in a space blanket, you know one of those that's shiny and silver that traps the heat. Here are some of those disposable hand warmers that you just crack open and they heat up pretty quick to keep your extremities warm. Ummmm and some meal packets like from the military. They are probably gross, but I figure if our troops eat them, you can survive off them, too."

"Damn it Polly. How can I be homeless with all this stuff?" The blonde plopped on her bed and motioned to her hair for Polly to start.

Polly began braiding her friend's hair and smearing it with grease. "But you aren't  _actually_  homeless Piper. You are just doing a school project."

"No Polly, I DO have to be homeless. That's the whole point of this. And it's not a school project. This is research for my final masters' course. It's pretty serious whether you see it that way or not." As her friend and roommate finished with her hair, the blonde reached over to her change jar from beside the bed and dumped the change into a large baggie. She sealed it up and stuffed it into the bottom of the day bag. "How do I look?"

"Like shit. And you reek."

Piper grinned. She smeared a bit more grease on her face, pulled on an old tattered threadbare overcoat she had picked up at the thrift store. "This will do for now. Just think, I will only ripen as the days and weeks go on." She chuckled at Polly's dismay.

Despite her earlier grumblings, the blonde shouldered the bag as she moved towards the door. "Drop me off?"

Polly deposited Piper about ten blocks away from the area that had been designated as Piper's study area. "Be safe. There is a cheap phone in the bottom of the bag with a charging cord wrapped around it. Please keep it… for emergencies." Piper rolled her eyes as she stretched her arm through the car window and placed her hand on her friend's arm. "I'll be okay Pol. I promise."

* * *

**_PRESENT TIME_ **

Alex couldn't believe her eyes. She shook the disbelief from her mind as she tried to listen to what Piper was saying. She tried to reconcile the well put-together woman dressed in a sharp suit with heels with the ragged, tattered woman that she knew from the streets. Alex wanted to hear what Piper was talking about but also had to push down her rage at having been made a fool of on the street.

Piper had taken her food, taken her money, and taken advantage. She pretended to be homeless when she wasn't. She had taken resources from others who needed them much worse than herself. Alex struggled with her anger to try to listen to the blonde's presentation. She battled with the red haze threatening to creep into the side of her vision, trying to calm herself so she could listen. Simply said, Alex was seething.

Then something Red had said popped into her head. When the shelter manager had suggested she attend this conference to garner ideas and to connect with like-minded people, she said, "Don't expect too much from them Alex." Red was always cynical of the government and organizations that sucked in people's money. "But you can figure out ways to make a difference."

"Just look at how much you have helped me in such a small length of time," Red continued. "My best volunteer, cute little blonde college student. She took a 'leave of absence'. Can you imagine that? A leave of absence. She said it was for a graduate project for her university degree. She was a hard worker that one, hard to replace. I'm lucky you came along when you did."

Piper. Piper must have been the volunteer Red was talking about who had taken a leave of absence and had played Alex for a fool.

Piper discussed her the project she had planned out as a part of her graduate degree. Her days and nights as a homeless person were chronicled as she wove her story of the street people she came across, the city and private services she utilized, and the general attitudes of the public. Piper briefly touched on the ideas she had formulated as a part of her grad project, but her focus of the presentation was dialed in on her experiences.

As Piper was wrapping up her presentation, Alex stood to leave in order to avoid even the chance of having to talk to the blonde. At this point, Piper was focusing on putting some names with some of the people with whom she interacted. Piper began to flash images on the screen.

"This is Matt. I first met Matt when I volunteered at the 32nd street shelter. He is a kind soul, never knew a stranger, and he would give you the shirt off his back." She continued to tell about the night that he gave her a blanket pulled from his wobbly shopping cart.

Next, she flashed the man from the park. "This is Joey. He was sitting in the park and simply wanted a few coins to buy some food." The stories continued.

Alex turned to leave the presentation room when Piper's next words stopped her. "And this … is Alex." Alex glanced up to see a picture of herself flash on the screen. Alex was crouched down next to a group of people sitting on the ground. The picture looked to be taken some time during the week prior as she was searching for Piper. When she looked at the woman up front, their eyes locked.

"I ran into Alex on several occasions during my stay on the streets. Each time she gave me things I needed: cash, food, warm clothing. She didn't shy away from me or act disgusted when I know my stench burned her nostrils. She has no idea how many street people she helped with the things she gave me."

Piper moved from behind the podium as she broke her stare with Alex. "The other day after my research project was over and I had a chance to get cleaned up, I saw Alex. That's when I took this candid picture. She was walking the streets distributing food, money, clothes. And more importantly, she stopped and talked to people. She sat with them, talked, and listened. You see, these are not just homeless people, they are humans. And by spending time to really know these people, Alex is an example of how we can truly touch their lives and make a difference."

Piper paused for effect. " I implore each of you to come up with innovative ways not just to provide shelter, food, and clothing for our citizens but also to provide what they really need – love."

The room immediately exploded in applause as everyone was on their feet. Several men in suits rushed towards Piper in an attempt to engage her in conversation. She politely excused herself and raced towards the back, her eyes desperately searching for Alex. When she couldn't not find the raven-haired woman among the crowd, Piper forced a smile on her face and returned to the podium to talk to the people who were excited about her presentation.

Alex could hear the ovation Piper had received as she scurried out of the symposium. She thrust her again clenched fists into the pockets of her overcoat as she turned the corner towards the parking garage. A blast of chilled wind slammed her full force in the face, worsening her mood. She ducked her chin to her chest, burying her face in her scarf.

* * *

Alex climbed into her vehicle, started it, and waited for the heater to warm the interior. She slammed the steering wheel with her fists. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Damn it." One thing that Alex hated most was being made a fool of and that is exactly how she felt at this point. She even had dreams about this woman for crying out loud.

After a while of simmering, Alex began to mentally run back through all her interactions with the "homeless" woman. Alex closed her eyes and visualized the one day at the park as she recalled her shock at Piper giving away her muffins and money. Taking all of this into considerations after listening to the presentation, Alex began to calm down a bit. Maybe there was more to Piper's story and perhaps she needed to give Piper the benefit of a doubt that she wasn't taking advantage of the system and of Alex's kindness.

Regardless, she still had about a week and a half to come up with a solid solution to help her friend Nicky. Nicky's mother had given her an ultimatum to keep her rich-girl trust fund and to not be written out of Mommy's will. Her daughter had to show compassion, something that Nicky had trouble doing because of her self-centered nature. If Nicky could prove to Marka that she was capable of helping somebody or some cause greater than herself, then her mother would continue letting Nicky live as she had with full access to her money.

And this is where Alex stepped in, well she didn't actually step in – more like Nicky dragged her in. Nicky hired Alex with the lure of a great deal of cash to act as her liaison to arrange Nicky's "good tasks". Alex's experiences with Piper and the other people she had encountered had made Alex realize that the homeless cause was indeed the cause for which she wanted to champion. And she didn't want the impact to be a one-time fix, she wanted to work on a longer-term solution.

As much as she knew what a struggle it was going to be, she knew she had to start involving Nicky otherwise they would never be able to pull off the con. Yes, some people would be helped, but Nicky might not get her money – and that was the end game here. As much as Alex disliked the thought, she had to figure out a way to get Nicky to sober up and participate so that they had a chance at making this con believable.

Alex grabbed her phone and messaged her best friend.

[Yo Sunshine! Time to get serious. Get your ass dressed and I'll be there in 20~A]


	7. Making Plans

**_FIVE WEEKS EARLIER AFTER BEING DROPPED OFF BY POLLY_ **

As Piper watched Polly drive off, she took a deep breath to collect herself. She wasn't sure if the butterflies in her stomach were a sign of excitement or nervousness. Somehow the project had sounded better on paper when she had mapped out her plans with her graduate advisor.

The blonde was completing her Master of Urban Planning and Policy at University of Illinois at Chicago. Her concentration was in Community Development. For her final project, she had decided to spend four weeks as a homeless person during the height of the Chicago winter. Chronicling her journey in a notebook tucked away in her bag would allow her to create a solid report upon project completion.

Piper took a seat on a nearby bench and took things out of her ragged day pack. Then she began to repack in a better order. At the bottom, she slipped the emergency cell phone and charger. That was the one precaution she was indeed keeping. Next, she threw in the baggie of change, and she rolled all the spare clothing she had brought. Mostly she had some spare t-shirts and a few extra pairs of socks.

Everything else went on top. She was not surprised to see that this was all that Polly had put in to include the space blanket, hand warmers, and military meal packets. These things she planned on quickly giving away, so she wouldn't be tempted to use the items to ease any discomfort felt. She knew she would be cold and hungry throughout her time on the streets, but others would better benefit from these items. She could survive simply knowing she could go home to her warm bed in a month's time. Others did not have such a luxury.

Piper shouldered her bag and began to slowly walk the blocks to where she would be spending most of her time. She tried to remember to not walk confidently, shoulders back with her head up. She ducked her head down and hunched herself over as she modified her gait to a shuffle to move through the streets.

* * *

 

**_PRESENT TIME_ **

Alex again found herself banging on Nicky's door because Nicky wouldn't answer her texts nor pick up her phone. Finally, Alex searched under the mat and through the plants outside Nicky's door until she found the spare key Nicky had since forgotten was hidden out there. Alex now hoped Nicky hadn't latched the security chain or turned a keyless deadbolt.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the door flung open allowing her entry to Nicky's apartment. Of course, Nicky wouldn't have taken any precautions for her own safety. She's such a fuck-up sometimes. Nicky was Alex's best friend, and Alex accepted her, faults and all. But Alex could also see right through Nicky and tried to call her on her shit.

Alex turned her nose up at the stench of pot, cigarettes and stale beer that permeated the room. She again went around opening windows to release the smells as she made her way to Nicky's bedroom. That room had black-out drapes that blocked out the majority of light. Nicky slept all hours of the day and liked it pitch black. As Alex threw back the curtains and light flooded into the bedroom, the lump in the middle of the large bed began groaning. Soon the moans turned to curses and threats.

"Shut the damned drapes." Nicky's voice was muffled as she had pulled the blankets over her head. "And close the fucking windows Vause. It's fucking snowing outside."

Alex walked over to the bed, grabbed the covers, and yanked them off, leaving Nicky in only her pajamas to protect her from the freezing air flooding the penthouse suite. "Get the fuck up Nichols. It's time for you to work this con with me."

"Asshole. Vause I hate you. You're fired. Give me my blankets, shut the blinds, and get the fuck out!"

Alex laughed as she grabbed Nicky's legs and began pulling her out of the bed. She pulled her friend to her feet and supported her as they made their way into the bathroom. Alex started the shower. "I'm not getting in there with you because that's just wrong. But get yourself cleaned up. We have plans to go over."

The next time Alex saw Nicky, she was a bit more presentable, clean at the least. Nicky pulled herself up on the barstool in the kitchen and reached for the coffee Alex had made. Alex slapped at her hand. "There is an order to this. First – the water. All of it."

Nicky grumbled but started on the huge glass of water that was closest to her. Once it was gone, Alex allowed her to have the coffee and slid a plate of scrambled eggs and toast over. While Nicky ate, Alex finished cleaning the kitchen along with the mess Nicky had in the living room.

"Okay Stretch. You have me back in the land of the living. Now tell me… why?"

"We have a week and a half left."

"Don't you think I know this?"

"Well if the con is going to be believable, you have to be involved jackass. Everything must come from you, and you should act like your feelings towards the cause is genuine. Here's how it's going to play out. You are going to stay sober for the next ten days and work diligently with me to ensure we pull this off."

Nicky rolled her eyes. "Ten days? Seriously? Do you think that's going to happen? In fact, I'm about to have a bit of the hair of the dog that bit me right now." Nicky jumped off the stool and headed to her liquor cabinet.

Alex stepped in front of her. "You will do no such thing Nichols. Because if you do, you will fail and all you can do is kiss Marka's money goodbye."

"Fuck Vause." Nicky dragged her hands through her wild hair. "You have a point. So, where are you at on this good cause I am championing?"

"Let me get this right Vause… you want to help by outfitting two city buses with toilets and showers so homeless people can get clean. And how much will this cost?"

"That's just part of it. But if I can convince the city to donate two retired buses, the retrofitting will take about 75K per bus for two shower stalls and two toilets. We also have to find workers to oversee the vehicles, to drive them to their locations, and to clean them daily."

"And where are we getting this kind of money Vause?"

"Well, I am hoping for volunteers for the workers and then maybe develop a program to rehouse qualified homeless and then hire them to do the work."

"The buses Vause. Don't play with me. What about the money to retrofit the buses?"

"I thought this is where Marka comes in. She has a lot of pull in the fund-raising world and lots of ties with people who have excess money to donate. Perhaps if you show her a fully vetted plan and talk to her about the money, she will see how much this cause means to you and how serious you are about putting someone else's needs before your own."

"That's just it Vause. I don't care. Why can't I just donate some cash and be done with it?"

"You don't get it Nicky. These are people. They don't just need money thrown at them. What they need is for someone to care for them and to help them regain some modicum of dignity."

"Wow Vause. You are starting to convince me that you actually care for these people."

"I do Nichols. And you need to care as well or at least put on a good act."

"Come on Alex. I can't go to my mom and ask for $150 G. She'll flip. Hell, she doesn't even like letting go of $5 G to bail me out of jail."

"Don't sell your mom short. Her giving you one last shot to show your worthiness says something. She might surprise you."

Nicky took in a deep sigh before letting her breath out. "Buses for bathrooms. Do you have any other ideas for me? I need to at least have a back-up plan when Marka rips my head off."

Alex showed her some other of her ideas, albeit less expensive, but none as impactful as this. "Would it help if I go with you to pitch this? You must take the lead, of course, because it's YOUR plan after all. But I can be there for you to fill in the holes."

"You'd better be there. Someone has to know where she hides my body."

* * *

**_ONE WEEK EARLIER IN THE MIDST OF THE BLIZZARD_ **

The city was still in emergency mode as it braced for the second night of heavy snowfall. Both the city's airports were running at half normal capacity and thousands of customers were stranded as they waited to be rerouted.

While playing games in the day room, Piper had a lot on her mind. She was restless as she came to accept what was about to happen. After the other women had gone to dinner and she had cleaned the day room, she returned to the dorms, which were extremely quiet. Piper padded around looking for an outlet. She dug the almost-forgotten-about emergency phone and charger from her bag and plugged it in. Despite the battery being completely drained, it did not take long to charge to where Piper needed it.

She returned to her cot, dressed, and readied her things to leave. Tiptoeing around the dorm, she found her way to Taystee's cot. She felt horrible for leaving her friend without saying goodbye but this was for the best. Piper tucked a note she had written Taystee into what was left of her bag of change and gently slid it under Taystee's things where it was hidden well enough from snoopers but to where her friend would find it soon upon returning from dinner.

She signed out with the night dorm mother and braced herself for the frigid temperatures she knew she was going to face. Exiting the dorm, Piper took one last look around her surroundings seeing things in an entirely new light. She began walking south as she dialed a number.

"Polly? It's me. How clear are the roads? … Can you pick me up? I'm ready to come home."

By the time Piper had walked to their meeting place, Polly was just pulling up. She leapt out of her car and ran towards her best friend to give her a hug. Pulling up short, her entire face dropped. "Oh my god Piper. I don't know what's worse – the way you look or the way you smell."

"It's good to see you, too, Polly. Now can we go home?"

* * *

Several showers and long soaks in the tub later, Piper emerged in a huge fluffy robe with her hair wrapped up in a towel. "God. I almost feel alive again."

Polly handed her a cup of tea. "Did you put everything in the trash bag I gave you?"

Piper nodded as she sipped the warming drink. "Everything but my knapsack. I want to keep it. For some strange reason, I feel connected to it."

"Well it has to survive through several washings with bleach and hot water before you can connect with it in our apartment. Meanwhile I made you some dinner. Light because lord knows what your stomach can handle."

The women spent a lazy evening together with Piper sharing her stories from the last month of being away from help. Eventually Polly said, "Well you need to get some rest. We have an early appointment tomorrow."

Piper groaned. "Polly? Seriously? I just got home. Maybe I am starting to smell better, but I don't feel tip-top just yet. I really need some rest."

"Well we are going to fix that. When you called that you were coming home, I called Billy. He was able to fit us in tomorrow. We are going for a full spa day – hair, nails, facials, the works."

"Oh god, that sounds heavenly, even as tired as I am. Thanks Polly! You are the best."

* * *

**_PRESENT TIME_ **

In the days after the symposium, Piper spent quite a bit of time on the streets as herself. She tried to convince herself that she was still gathering final bits of information for her project, when in truth, she was looking for Alex. In her wildest dreams, she would have never imagined running into Alex, of all people, at the symposium.

She was desperate to find Alex, so she could give her a better explanation than the short speech she had given for the conference. Alex deserved to know not only what was going on but also what Piper had done with everything Alex had given her. She did not want Alex thinking that she kept anything the raven-haired woman had provided for her. God, Alex must think she's a horrible, uncaring person.

She had not seen Alex by the time she made it to the 32nd street shelter, so she let herself in through the service entrance and went directly to Red's office. She had missed volunteering here, and it felt good to be back. She had even missed Red's gruff demeanor.

"Hey Red. Did you miss me?"

"The prodigal daughter returns. How did your _project_ go?" Red's sarcasm didn't go unnoticed by Piper.

"Honestly Red? It sucked. Our clients have it harder than I could have ever imagined. It was the most horrific experience of my life. I spoke the other day at the Chicago Homeless Symposium. The project was well received, and I hope to have additional benefactors soon."

"Don't forget about us here at 32nd Street. You know I have a wish list! I sent one of my new volunteers over to the conference. She was looking for ways to help out and thought she could network with some people there."

"Trying to replace your number one volunteer? I was only gone a month." Piper laughed.

"No but she was a hard worker, a lot like yourself. I think you'll like her – if she ever comes in again. Vause I think her name is. Anyway, enough visiting for you. You know what needs to be done. It's prep time for the lunch crowd."

Alex watched the interaction between the brusque cook and Piper. As they got up to move to the kitchen, she silently let herself back out the side entrance. She wasn’t over her anger yet and not ready to talk to the blonde. After the storms, she had gone almost a week looking everywhere for Piper in a panic who she thought was dead. When all along, she had been concerned about a rich college student who was simply working on a human-interest project.

She hated standing Red up knowing how much Red loved her volunteers. But now that the golden girl was back, Alex would probably never be missed.


	8. Seeking Marka's Approval

Nicky twisted and turned in the waiting room chair. She pulled at the collar of her shirt. "Damn this thing is itchy. I can't believe I had to make an appointment to see my own mom Vause. This is fucked up."

Alex turned to her friend. "Straighten up Nichols. Do not think of Marka as your mother. Think of her as an investor, someone who doesn't know you and you are trying to garner her support for this cause that you have a deep seeded passion for."

"Vause, I'm going to be reading from this portfolio or whatever you call it." Nicky fumbled with the presentation packets she had in her lap. "This isn't a deep seeded passion." She made quotation marks with her fingers as she mocked Alex's words.

"Just do it like we practiced. And remember, zeal. Your excitement is what is going to sell this to her. You will do great!" Alex tried to not let her nervousness show. She had a great deal of emotional input into this project and for those reasons, she was counting on Marka to come through for them. And the craziest of all things was that she was depending on Nicky to pull it out.

The door to the inner office opened and a smartly dressed woman stepped out. "Nicole, Ms. Nichols will see you now." She motioned the two into Marka's office.

Nicky approached the woman sitting behind the desk who stood upon them entering. "Ms. Nichols," she said shakily, offering her hand. "I'm Nicole Nichols and this is my colleague Alex Vause."

Marka shook her hand then motioned for the two women to take a seat across from her. She examined her daughter up and down before starting to chuckle. As a perplexed look crossed her daughters face, Marka said, "you clean up nicely Nicole. You even tamed your hair."

Nicky ducked her head and blushed. "Thanks mom. This is important to me." She passed one of the presentation packets to her mother and one to Alex as well. "This is a copy of the plan I e-mailed you last night. Were you able to look at it?"

Marka nodded her head. "I did Nicole. I'm quite impressed. Tell me, what interests you in the homeless?"

Nicky took a deep breath and began her explanation just like she and Alex had practiced. She only hoped she sounded as sincere as she needed. Her mother wasn't responding, just nodding her head as Nicky spoke.

"And this plan? Why spend so much money on a program that must be maintained with additional monies? Wouldn't you rather just donate money to the homeless shelters for them to use as they see fit? That seems to be the most logical solution for you."

"Mom." Nicky tried to not sound exasperated. As much as Alex had drilled the reasons into her head, Nicky was started to have faith in the Shower Bus program as a way to help. "The homeless don't need more money thrown at them. There are specific needs that are not being met through community programs currently in place. A mobile bathing facility that can travel to new places daily is something that could really make a difference." Nicky stood up from her chair.

"Once that is stable then we can add on the other programs in the proposal – the mobile washing machines, tiny homes to house formerly homeless, lots of things. We just need a way to get started. With your seed money to help retrofit the buses and your guidance to show me how to raise additional monies, we can create a foundation that would help fund these projects and more. We can't just throw money at a problem Mom; we have to make a difference."

Nicky was out of breath after her rant. Both Marka and Alex were staring at her not quite believing the fervor Nicky was showing for the proposal she and Alex had spent the last week and a half putting together. After a few moments, Marka began slowly clapping. Nicky again got that confused look on her face.

"Well done Nicole, well done. I'm impressed by your …. enthusiasm. And you came up with these projects on your own?"

Nicky started to speak then stopped herself and looked at her best friend who simply arched one thinly plucked eyebrow. Nicky paused to gather her words. "No Mom, I didn't. Alex was a big help in all of this."

Marka smiled warmly at Alex. Then she turned to Nicky and said, "You know, when I told you about losing your inheritance, I never dreamed you would come through. I commend you on a job well done. Now just keep it up."

"W-w-what?" Nicky questioned her mother.

"These programs, this foundation you are talking about. Someone has to oversee it." Before Nicky could respond, Marka continued. "Since that matter of business is settled, back to this Shower Bus program. Another party has approached me with funding a very similar project to this. She has some excellent ideas as well. After looking over both proposals, I am comfortable funding the initial refitting of the buses if you two will work together with the other party."

Nicky looked over at Alex who shrugged then nodded. Nicky turned back to her mom. "Ummm, sure. Three heads are better than two, right?"

"Good because she's my next appointment which is right about now…" Marka's phone beeped, and she picked it up. "Yes? … Send her in."

Nicky and Alex stood as the office door opened and a slim blonde figure walked in. "Marka thank you so much for this." The woman approached Nicky's mother and kissed her on each cheek.

"I'd like for you to meet my daughter and her friend who I told you about. They will be working with you on the Shower Bus project. Nicky, Alex, this is Piper."

* * *

**Earlier that morning**

Piper pushed the plate away. With butterflies in her stomach and her head buzzing with possibilities, there was no way on Earth she'd swallow a bite, let alone a whole plateful. Come to think about it, she wasn't even sure why she fixed breakfast anyway. Great things were riding on today. If she could close this deal with the Nichols Foundation, her dreams would be well on their way to becoming reality.

When she had submitted her grant proposal, she only half thought it would amount to anything. But landing a meeting with the founder of the foundation was unheard of. Piper knew her mother played golf with Marka Nichols and desperately hoped this was not the reason why her proposal had gone right through to the top and that she had earned this interview solely based on the merits of her ideas.

Piper went through her speaking points mentally as she dressed. Conservative was the key for today as she selected a loose-fitting cobalt blue skirt with matching blouse and blue flats. She pulled her hair back and fashioned it into a conservative bun before tackling her make-up and ensuring things were perfect. Piper wasn't sure which felt more routine – her dressing practices or her speaking points. She had worked on this proposal for quite some time and had even gone as far as to secure some of the initial needed commitments from other organizations. She had virtually memorized her words for the foundation.

As Piper waited for her appointment time in the outer area, only her bouncing leg belayed the nerves building in her gut. Her legs were neatly crossed at the ankle and hands folded on top of her proposal sitting on her lap. She became aware that her head was bobbing slightly to some unknown tune. She took deep calming breaths and pressed her palms down on her knees to stop her legs from shaking.

When the secretary announced time for her meeting had arrived, Piper stood and collected herself with a deep, cleansing breath. She plastered on her broadest smile and entered the office where she was warmly greeted.

"Piper! It is certainly a pleasure to have you here. My how you've grown since I last saw you." Marka awkwardly embraced her friend's daughter and kissed her cheek. "Sit down, sit down. May I offer you something to drink? Coffee, water?"

"No thank you Ms. Nichols."

"Oh nonsense, Piper. Call me Marka." She reached over to her desk and plucked a folder off. "I was quite impressed with your proposal Piper. Tell me more."

The next fifteen minutes or so were spent with Piper outlining how her project would operate, costs, benefits, and drawbacks. "It certainly seems that you have done your homework. But tell me Piper, and there is no right or wrong answer to this. Why didn't you simply go to your mother for money? This is a project she could certainly get behind."

Piper paused, taking time to breathe deeply to clear her mind. She knew this question was probably coming yet still had not decided how to answer the question as this woman was indeed friends with her mother.

"Ms. Nichols, honestly, the Nichols Foundation is an established charity with a solid reputation built for fund-raising for good causes. I could ask my mother for money, but that's all it would be – money. She is not as equipped as your foundation is with the ability to generate additional money as well as contacts your foundation has." Piper released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Marka's eyes narrowed. "I call bullshit Piper. While I believe that you believe in what you just said, I think we both know that frankly, your mother is a bitch. Between you and me, the booze gets the best of her." Piper stifled a laugh and struggled to keep a straight face. "And if you ever tell her I said that, I'll pull your funding so fast, your head will pop off."

Piper paused, letting Marka's words sink in. "You'll pull my funding…?"

Smiling warmly at Piper, Marka continued, "Yes. You have great ideas. Funny thing though. Another proposal close to yours recently came across my desk as well. I'm meeting with that party today in fact. I'd like for you to work together with that person on this." Marka studied Piper's face reading concern in the young woman's eyes. "Oh relax. You can trust her. She's my daughter."

Piper relaxed a bit, leaning forward in her chair. "Oh, I didn't realize your daughter was interested in homeless issues."

Marka chuckled, "Oh Piper. I think Nicky is just concerned with losing her inheritance. Now I do have a favor to ask. If, at any time, Nicky doesn't pull her weight or blows off any of her responsibilities, let me know. She still needs pitch the idea to me, so why don't you go grab some lunch. Come back, say, around 1?"

Piper stood to follow Marka out. "Thank you so much Ms. Nichols. You have no idea how much this project means to me."

* * *

 

**Back to Present Time**

Both Alex and Nicky shook hands with the blonde as they introduced themselves to Piper. Alex calmly looked at Marka. "Pardon me while I excuse myself for a moment." Alex left and went the short journey down the hallway to the restroom. Feeling she was far enough away from Marka's office, she forcefully closed the door.

Behind the door which had been slammed shut, Alex clenched her fists tightly. Her nails dug deep into the palm of her hand, but she barely noticed. The only thing she was aware of, was the sound of her heart throbbing against the cage of her chest. It's not until she looked into the mirror, that she was aware she'd been biting her lip so badly it was bleeding.

Nicky banging on the door to the restroom startled Alex out of her trance. "Come on Stretch. Get out of there. You need to tell me what's up."

Alex splashed water on her face and slowly dried the droplets from her face, the evaporation cooling her heated skin and calming her mood. "I worked too damned hard on this project. Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Tossing the towel onto the basin, she exited the washroom to face Nicky.

"What do you think about the hottie Stretch? Hubba, hubba, right? My mom picks them well." Nicky chucked Alex in the shoulder who just rolled her eyes. When Alex didn't respond, Nicky continued. "I can definitely keep my head in the game when working with that woman on my side. Aren't you excited bud?"

"Ummm no. And no, I don't want to talk about it. "Alex was now pacing the short hallway trying to decide what to do.

"Oh, and we are having dinner tonight to kick-start this project. 8:00 pm, Scarpetta." Nicky's mood was elevated from the successful presentation. "Looks like I'm going to get to keep my inheritance after all. Thanks bud."

Alex looked down at Nicky. "Look, we just have a colossal project still ahead of us. I'm headed home. I'll catch you at the restaurant. Oh, and Nicky… I believe this qualifies as a success. Bring the rest of my money as well as my bonus."


	9. Dinner - and more

Piper's felt as though her heart was pounding out of her chest. Her nerves had been on edge since Marka's daughter had suggested dinner for all of them to discuss how to divide duties for the bus project. Since then, her mind had been spinning trying to determine a way to speak with Alex alone. If this project was going to work, she was going to have to clear the air with the woman who had been so kind to her on the streets.

Deep breathing calmed her, so she started the mantra that she had once heard a paramedic tell a young boy having a panic attack.  _Deep breath in, smell the roses. Slowly let it out, blow out the candles. Smell the roses. Blow out the candles._ Piper felt her heart rate slowing back to normal and calm settling over her.

She changed into a less formal outfit, gray slacks with a darker gray button-down shirt. Piper wanted to be comfortable for what might be a less than comfortable situation. She dropped a few file folders into her thin portfolio and left her apartment. A short taxi ride later and she was at the restaurant at the bar with a drink in hand waiting on her new partners.

A frustrated Alex was having a difficult time motivating herself to be fired up about the evening's meeting. While she knew it was a necessary evil, it was something that she would have to get over for this project to be successful. What she needed was an attitude adjustment.

Fumbling in her liquor cabinet, she pulled out a bottle of 18-year single malt scotch. Alex poured a tulip glass full and swirled it around coating the sides of the glass. She was always mesmerized by the caramel color as the filmy liquid spindled down the glass. Bringing the glass to her nose, she deeply inhaled and took in the woodiness and smokiness of the spirits.

After taking in a small mouthful, she swirled the liquid around so that she could taste what she saw and smelled. Finally, she downed the remainder of the glass. Scotch was one of her weaknesses, how she relaxed after a long day. The liquid was often her savior. She poured another glassful and this time simply tossed the smooth liquid down, defiling the nature of the whole scotch drinking experience.

With the two glasses of liquid encouragement, she felt ready to take on Piper. She buttoned down her long coat over her black skinny jeans and tight red sweater. Alex locked her door and dropped the keys in her pocket. The doorman had a taxi waiting on her and soon she was at the restaurant.

* * *

 

As Alex walked in, she paused a moment at the door to let her eyes adjust to the darkened light. After checking with the maître de to see if the other two members of the dinner party had arrived, she was directed to the bar area and told their table was ready when they were. Alex climbed the few steps to the bar then slowed, unsure about approaching what she saw.

Piper threw her head back in apparently laughter, blonde hair flowing down her back and shifting side to side as she was deep in animated conversation with Nicky. Nicky was leaned forward, quite a bit into Piper's personal space, eyes locked on Piper's as she undoubtedly told funny stories in an attempt to woo Piper, to pull her into her grasp. Piper's mirth was evident, even from behind.

When the blonde put her hand on Nicky's arm, an odd feeling shot into Alex's stomach, a feeling of jealousy which she shoved down and out of her mind. No reason was to be had for being envious of Nicky flirting with Piper. Nicky was simply being Nicky. Alex sat her mouth into a forced smile and approached the couple. "I see you two are having fun without me."

"Glad you could join us Stretch!" Nicky punched her longtime friend in the shoulder. "Piper and I here were just commiserating about our lovely mothers."

Alex turned to Piper with a little more honest smile. "I'm truly sorry you have been subject to my friend here. She has mommy issues."

Returning Alex's smile, Piper replied, "It's alright. However, if it's okay with the two of you, I'm famished."

While waiting on dessert, Piper pulled out the folders she had in her portfolio and distributed them. "I put together a timeline and a plan so you both could take a look and see what you think and what adjustments need to be made. As well there is a possible division of responsibilities."

Nicky made the motions of flipping through the pages while Alex was studying them. When it was evident that Nicky was not actively involved, Piper's face showed her confusion. Nicky nodded her head towards her tall friend. "She's really the brains of the operation. I'm the beauty." Alex scoffed as she continued to read. Nicky leaned over the table and placed her hand atop Piper's. "Why don't we let her finish up here and you and I go find some place a little more … private."

Alex abruptly cleared her throat and scooted her chair back a little more forcibly than needed. She tossed the folder on the table and tried to control the green rage coursing through her. "The initial plans look good Piper," she said through gritted teeth. "Don't let me hold you two up. We can meet again tomorrow at the office space loaned to us in Marka's building."

The tension at the table was broken by the waiter bringing the desserts. Nicky was clueless to Alex's ire as she playfully reached over and stole a forkful of Piper's molten lava chocolate cake. "Chocolate is the key to a woman's heart."

Piper snuck a look at Alex, concerned at her sulking. Nicky's actions were clearly agitating her. "Nicky, I should take a rain check on tonight. I believe I have some pressing matters I should attend to. And like Alex said, we need to meet tomorrow. I suggest an early start."

Nicky raised her hand to the server and motioned for the check. Alex stood, dabbed her mouth with her napkin. After nodding to the other two women, she turned to leave. Piper tossed her napkin on the table. "See you tomorrow Nicky. I need to run."

As Piper rushed out the door, Alex had her hand raised to hail a taxi. "Alex! Wait!" Alex turned to look at Piper as the cab pulled to the curb. Saying nothing, Alex opened the door and got in, leaving the door open. Momentarily, she slid over and motioned for Piper to get in. Alex gave the driver an address then peered out the side window. Despite Piper's best efforts to start a conversation with Alex, Alex remained silent and stared.

* * *

Alex tossed some cash at the driver as he pulled up in front of a building. Rather than entering the building, Alex began walking to the corner. To a café across the street from a very familiar park. She sat at the same table, so she could see out the window. Alex held two fingers up towards the waitress who brought over two cups of black coffee. The women sat in silence, sipping on their hot drinks.

Piper finally couldn't stand the quietness and started to speak. "Alex…". Alex held up her hand and stopped her, motioning to the park across the street.

As Piper's eyes turned to where Alex was pointing, Alex softly said. "Look familiar?" Piper flinched as she realized what she was looking at then her eyes shifted down to the ground. When the blonde didn't respond, Alex spoke again in the same low, even tone. "That bench right there is the second time I saw you."

"You brought me coffee and muffins," Piper whispered. "Alex, I…"

The dark-haired woman raised her hand, stopping Piper from speaking. "I saw what you did after I left you. Joey, I believe his name is." Piper raised her eyes to meet Alex's. "When I saw you at the symposium, I was furious. Then imagine my surprise today at the Nichols Foundation to discover I must work with you. Piper, how many resources meant for the less fortunate did you suck down?"

A red flush began to creep up Piper's chest to her face. "Alex, it's not like that. I was doing re…"

Alex cut her off. "You were doing so called research by taking food out of people's mouths and taking a warm place to stay from beneath them." Alex's face was a portrait of disgust with a wrinkled nose, lowered brows, and narrowed eyes.

Piper sat up a little straighter. She leaned forward as she narrowed her eyes to match Alex's. "Take a look at the big picture Alex. I grew up like Nicky, wanting for nothing, having everything handed to me. I lived the life of a homeless person for six weeks. Six fucking weeks Alex, trying to find out what it was like and what was needed to make a difference in these people's lives. Yeah, I stayed at the shelter and had a meal or two a day there.

Piper was now angry and nearly shouting at Alex. "But the money and food you gave me… I gave those to other people. I felt guilty, undeserving of the kindness you showed me. That’s why I started avoiding you. I thought you could see right through me. That you should be able to see that I wasn't the person I was portraying on the street. That I was just a rich white girl hiding from life and from the truth. And what sucked even more Alex, was that I couldn't get you out of my mind. I thought of you constantly. You were my knight in shining armor and my archenemy all wrapped into one.” Piper stood up and tossed a few bills on the table. "Thanks for the coffee. I'll see you tomorrow at the office." She then trounced out of the café.

* * *

Alex was stunned then quickly ran after her. She tried to stop Piper by grasping her elbow. Piper wrenched her elbow away and kept walking. Alex then grabbed her more forcibly by the shoulders, turned her around to face Alex, and pushed her against the building. Alex searched the shorter woman's azure eyes for meaning, for want, for truth… then attacked her lips with ferocious passion. She forcefully pulled Piper to her chest as Piper reached up to deepen the kiss. Piper ran her fingers through the taller woman's hair and wrapped the strands around her fingers to pull Alex's head even closer.

After the two women broke the kiss, Piper shoved back and looked at Alex, searching her green eyes for sense behind the passionate encounter. Alex grabbed Piper by the hand and silently dragged her down the block towards her apartment. Piper tried to speak but was caught up in simply trying to stay on her feet due to the fast pace.

The adrenaline rush was still on high by the time the pair reached Alex's apartment. Alex slid the locks into place then slammed the shorter girl against the door, shoving her coat down her arms. The women's eyes were locked on each other as if one was daring the other to speak. Piper straightened her arms to let the jacket fall to the floor. Alex immediately grabbed Piper's wrists and held her against the door with her hands above her head.

As Alex moved her face closer, Piper closed her eyes in anticipation of a kiss but Alex by-passed Piper's waiting lips and headed to her throat. Pressing her teeth into Piper's skin, Alex ran her mouth along Piper's neck down to her shoulders to her breasts. Piper gasped slightly at the pain when Alex nipped her hardened nipple through her shirt. Piper wrapped a leg around Alex's waist and tried to lift her crotch to press into Alex. Alex released Piper's hands and unbuttoned Piper's shirt and bra. As Piper let her clothes slip to the ground, Alex slid down to capture Piper's legs and lift them both to wrap around her waist.

Alex carried Piper to the bedroom, tossing her on the bed. She bent over Piper and undid her pants, helping Piper wriggle free of her pants. Alex stood beside the bed, fully clothed, looking at Piper, just staring. Finally, she moved to the bed and lay down next to Piper, still dressed, and propped herself up on one elbow. As Piper tried to turn onto her side, Alex shoved her back down then kissed her. Hard. Alex shoved her tongue in Piper's mouth and Piper responded by sucking. She slipped her arm beneath Alex, pulling her closer by digging her nails into Alex's back.

Alex reached up, grabbed Piper's nipple and rolled in between her thumb and finger. Piper gave a low moan and scraped her fingers up Alex's back. Alex moved her hand to give equal attention to Piper's other breast. Piper broke the kiss and shoved Alex's head towards her breast, encouraging her to suck on the already taut nipples. Piper slightly opened her eyes and watched Alex.

After she caught her breath, she wrapped her fingers in Alex's hair and pulled her back up to her face. "Why are you still dressed Alex? Take off your clothes." Piper's words were coming between pants of breaths as she tugged at Alex's shirt.

"Fuck you Piper." Alex attacked Piper's mouth again, sucking and licking and ravaging.

"Okay Alex. I can deal with that. Fuck me." Piper quickly wrapped a naked leg around Alex's in an attempt to find some friction, some relief against Alex's body. Alex shoved Piper back then quick straddled her, pinning her between her hips. Piper began to wriggle against Alex's crotch to distract her. Alex leaned down and began to kiss Piper again, this time a little more slowly and gently but deeply still the same.

Piper managed somehow to slip her hand beneath Alex's crotch. Thinking Piper was reaching for her, Alex lifted her hips to move out of Piper's reach. Instead, Piper began playing with herself, covering her fingers with wetness then toying with her clit.

Keeping their lips pressed together, Alex muttered, "what in the hell do you think you are doing?"

"What you won't do. I figure if you won't, I will." Piper kissed Alex again.

Alex quickly moved her hips to the side, laying back beside Piper and replaced Piper's hand with her own, sighing as her eyes rolled back in her head as she felt the wetness between Piper's legs. "Fuck woman."

"Exactly."

Still talking through the kiss, Alex muttered, "I hope you know, this doesn't change anything between us."


	10. Interview

Alex opened her eyes to the strange feeling of another body next to hers. She gently turned over so as to not disturb the woman sleeping on her stomach. Her blonde hair was splayed across her back as her shoulders slightly raised and lowered with each rhythmic breath. Alex sheet off the bed to wrap around her pale naked body. She pulled up the duvet to cover Piper who was still soundly asleep.

Alex rummaged in the drawers of her kitchen until she pulled out a book of matches and an old pack of cigarettes. Quietly, she raised the window to the fire escape and crawled out onto the wiry platform. She shook a cigarette out of the pack and placed it between her lips while tore a match out of the pack. She stared at the phosphorous tip as she pressed it against the strip. She struck the match, watching it flare then sucked in the flame through her cigarette.

One strong breath in caused Alex to gag and choke. "Fuck these are stale," Alex murmured. Despite the pungent, acrid smoke burning her lungs, she continued to suck the nicotine into her bloodstream. She drew her knees up to her chest and buried her head in the crook of her elbow thinking about her actions from the night before. The motion tightened the skin on her back, allowing the deep scratches left by Piper's fingernails to twinge. What did the intimacy between the two mean, if anything? Was it even intimacy or just raw sex? At this point, Alex's mind was simply a blur, confused.

As the orange threads of the morning sunrise started to filter through the horizon, Alex finished the cigarette and stubbed it out on the metal grate. She laid the butt on the window sill and gently raised the window. As she stepped inside, she heard her front door click shut. A quick glance into the bedroom showed her bed was empty, and Piper's clothes that had been strewn about were missing.

Despite the little sleep gotten the night before, Alex decided to not try to lay back down. She started a pot of coffee and took a blazing hot shower to scrub away any of the emotion she was possibly feeling towards the blonde.

* * *

"So, you  _did_  decide to join us this morning." Nicky turned from the file she had been studying with Piper to look at her friend who had just entered the office.

"Shut the fuck up and help before I drop this stuff." Alex's gruff voice grumbled as she tried to balance the box of Starbucks coffee and a several sacks.

"One of those better have food." Nicky laughed as she relieved her grouchy chum of the steaming coffee carrier.

"Good morning Alex." Of course Piper was the first to speak between the pair after their romp the previous night.

Alex emitted an intelligible grumble as she emptied the contents of the other bags. She poured herself a cup of black coffee, grabbed a muffin, and plopped down in a chair opposite of where Nicky and Piper had been working.

"Damn bud, you really need to lighten up. That or get laid."

Piper scoffed as Alex shot her a warning look.

"What'd I miss?"

Piper pushed some files towards Alex. "These are some of the people I'd like to consider as bus drivers and attendants."

"Aren't you moving a little too quickly being that we don't even have buses yet or a timeline of getting them retrofitted?" Alex began to flip through the papers. She opened the second file and read through its contents. When she finished, she looked up at Piper and stared. "You already have a bus being outfitted? I thought this was a joint effort." Alex tried to keep the disdain from her voice.

"Alex you seem to forget that I've been working on this project for my degree. My mother fronted me the initial costs. I went to the Nichols Foundation for operating costs and additional backing opportunities. You two, on the other hand, are just getting started."

The frown on Alex's face softened a bit. Nicky turned a chair around to straddle it. "She's pretty good, boss, eh? Wait. I'm the boss. Or am I?" Nicky laughed as she shoved the rest of her muffin into her mouth, using her forefinger to cram it all in. "I just don't understand why I have to do the interviews Stretch. Can you believe that blondie here wants me to interview people?" Nicky's voice was muted as she tried to talk with her mouth full.

"Piper is this true?" Piper nodded. Alex laughed as she said, "you really need to get to know Nichols here a little better. She's not much for responsibility."

Nicky laughed, spitting a few crumbs out on the table. "Shut up lackey. I can hold my own."

Alex just rolled her eyes. She picked up the potential employee folder and looked through the possible hires again. She arched her eyebrow and peered across the table at the blonde. "Seriously? These are the candidates?"

"Yes. Tomorrow. We will meet here. Oh, don't dress up."

* * *

Nicky pressed a cold beer into Alex's palm. "Stretch, what do you think of our blondie? Think she's hot for teacher? I wonder what will happen if I ask her out again."

Alex whipped her head around and got into Nicky's face. Her voice was gravelly and lower than normal. "Don't. You. Dare."

Nicky started and moved away, holding up her hands in defense. "Okay, okay, I get the picture. She's off limits. I guess mixing business and pleasure would be a bad thing."

Alex drained her beer in one long drink then retrieved another from the bar. "That's not it Nicky. I know her."

"You what? You are just now telling me this? Fuck. Is this the chick you banged in Bali? Details please."

"No Nicky. Ugh." Alex sat back in the booth and proceeded to tell Nicky the entire story, leaving out the hate sex from the night before. "It all started right here." She patted the booth then pointed to the alcove down the street where she had first seen Piper.

"Wow, that's some deep shit pal. You are in a pickle." Nicky was quickly becoming tipsy.

"And I haven't been able to get her out of my mind. It's driving me insane. It's going to take me a while to get my brain wrapped around all of this. The only thing that I'm absolutely certain is – this project has  _got_  to work."

* * *

The trio wrapped their coats a bit tighter as they rounded the corner and hit the wind tunnel between the buildings. They entered the 65th street shelter via the delivery entrance and went directly to the office. Justin was all smiles as he warmly greeted them.

He pulled Piper into a tight embrace. "You sure clean up nicely. Interesting project you have going on here. I read about your master's thesis. Gutsy, Piper. I respect you for what you did and hope good things come it." He grasped Alex's hand and shook it. "Alex, it's so nice to see you again."

After Nicky was introduced, Justin gave a quick summary of how he had organized the morning. "Both women were just told I had a lead on jobs for them. They are still here, getting cleaned up and into some little better-looking clothes. Well, cleaner at least. I thought you could interview in the night manager's office. Both at the same time. They are nervous. We can stay here and talk to them when you are done. I'd like to see their reaction when they see Piper."

Nicky nodded, gathered her folder of material, paper and pen, and left with Justin to complete the interviews. Piper walked over to Alex and placed a hand on her arm. "Thanks Alex. This means a lot to me."

Alex looked down at Piper. "I'm not sure why you've picked these two, but I trust your judgement."

"Do you?" Piper laid her head against Alex's shoulder. Alex mumbled what could be taken as an agreement. "Hey, can we talk later? I mean really talk? Maybe dinner?"

Alex sighed deeply as she moved into the woman's touch. "Yeah, I think we need to do that Piper."

* * *

Justin escorted the two noticeably nervous women into the room and introduced Nicky. "I'll leave you three be." He closed the door and retreated to his office.

The taller one was a bit bolder and offered her hand. "Tasha Jefferson. My friends call me Taystee." Their eyes went to the shorter Caucasian woman's head was ducked down, staring at the floor. Taystee nudged her gently.

She then offered her hand. "Tricia Miller."

Nicky motioned to the table. "Let's have a seat gals. I don't bite - promise. I'm just here to talk to you about a few things." They all took a seat around the table.

Tricia had a dubious look on her face. "Justin's cool but he said you wanted to talk to us about jobs. What kind of person wants to hire a homeless hood rat?" Nicky's eyes widened at the formerly meek woman's bitter question.

Taystee put her hand on Tricia's and spoke in a professional, kind voice. "What my friend here means is that we are grateful to speak to you about this employment opportunity. What information might we provide in order to be considered?"

Nicky opened the folder. "Well Tasha… errr Taystee. I understand that you used to be a long-haul bus driver. Tell me about that."

"Hmmmft unless those low-lifes laid me off and I lost everything. Errrr I mean, yes ma'am. I drove for the company for four years. I was unfortunate to not have enough seniority to maintain my employment when they made route and budget cuts. When I lost my job and was unable to find another, I couldn't afford to keep my apartment. That's pretty much the story."

"I see." Nicky made a few notes and flipped the page. "Tricia, what can you tell me about your employment background?" Tricia scoffed. Nicky was getting irritated. Piper had been adamant about interviewing this woman, but she didn't seem like she much wanted to be here. "Look Ms. Miller. I'm trying to create some opportunities for you here, open some doors."

Nicky was cut off when Taystee slapped Tricia up-side the head. "Do I have to do everything here girl. Talk to the woman. Tell her what she wants to know." Nicky tried to not smirk at the stink-eye Tricia was giving Taystee.

"I was a janitor at a middle school until I quit because they wanted me to take a drug test. Said they didn't want bad influences around the kids. Then I bused tables and washed dishes at a crappy restaurant over in East Garfield Park."

"And why did you leave there?"

Tricia hung her head. "They said I was stealing food."

Nicky thought for a moment before asking. "Were you?"

Tricia's face reddened but she didn't outburst. She replied through gritted teeth. "Yes. My mother died, and I had a little brother to feed. When I lost my job, I lost the apartment, and he went into foster care. So yes, I was stealing food. Happy?"

Nicky took a deep breath in as she made her notes. "I can't say that I've ever been in either of your shoes. But that's only by the grace of God and a very good friend who's shown me what it's like to try to help others. Stay here." Nicky stood up to leave.

Taystee jumped up. "But what about the jobs? Can't we get some information about them? I promise we will both be great workers and I will take full responsibility for Tricia here."

Nicky was fighting tears. "I have no doubt you will be good workers. But I believe you need to hear about the job from someone else."

Nicky left the room and leaned against the door breathing heavily. She only had a snippet of background on these two and she was overwhelmed. Piper had indeed found her true calling in this line of work.

* * *

An ashen Nicky walked into Justin's office. Alex quickly got up and sat Nicky down in her chair. Piper ran to get a glass of water which Nicky quickly gulped.

"Well…" Both Alex and Piper were staring at Nicky.

"I don't know how you do it. I couldn't get past their personal stories to do the interviews. All I can remember is what we already knew – Tasha used to drive busses and Tricia worked as a janitor and busboy. I don't care about anything else. These two women need a break."

Alex slapped the desk. "Well then let's go talk to them."

* * *

Taystee heard the office door open, turned and saw Nicky along with two other women walked in. She cautiously stared, first at Piper then at Alex then back to Piper. Then Taystee surprisingly crossed her arms, raised her chin in defiance and turned her back to the women.

Tricia looked at Alex. "Hey, aren't you that crazy chick who was pushing a shopping cart around right before a blizzard. You hooked me up with some supplies. You really saved my ass that night. You were looking for another homeless chick." Tricia's eyes turned to Piper and she stared. "Fuck she was looking for you. You are the sickly one I took the pills off of." Taystee cleared her throat. "I gave them back; I gave them back didn't I? Damn you look different. All clean and shit. You really homeless?"

Piper shook her head and sat down with Nicky and Alex across from the other two women. Taystee refused to make eye contact with Piper. Finally, Piper scooted her chair around until she was knee to knee with her friend from the shelter.

"Taystee, please look at me." Piper placed her hands on Taystee's whose eyes were searching for meaning on the ceiling. "Taystee, I never meant to lie to you. I wish you'd give me a chance to explain." Taystee shook her head side to side. "Did you find the note I left you? And the change?"

Taystee lowered her gaze from the ceiling and looked directly at Piper who could see the tears welling up in the corners of her friend's eyes. "Yeah I got your note. And I got your lousy bag of change."

"I tried to explain in the note. I told you what I was doing and why I had to leave."

Taystee exploded out of her chair, knocking it backwards and making everyone jump. "I don't care about why you left. What matters to me is that actually you left  _me._  You left me in this ratty, stinking shelter. I was your friend Piper, well I thought I was. And you just left me." Now tears were streaming down the woman's face.

Piper stood and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Oh Taystee. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She stood there and held her friend until the sobbing subsided. Piper pushed her away slightly, wiping the tears from her cheeks with her thumbs. "I told you I'd be back and then it would all make sense. I can only hope that after you hear what I have to tell you that you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Taystee wiped her eyes and face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt and sat down. Tricia who had surprisingly remained quiet this entire time reached over and placed a comforting hand on the larger woman's arm.

Justin knocked on the door and brought drinks in for everyone. When everyone was comfortable and calm, Piper began to share her plan.


	11. Finalizing the Project

"Let me get this right. You've got this bus that has showers in it. You want me and Tricia to drive around the city and let homeless people take showers." Taystee looked at Piper with an incredulous look on her face.

Piper smiled as Taystee questioned the project. "Yup. Right now, with one bus and the two of you, we calculate that we can serve about 36 people a day."

"That's not many Piper." Tricia looked concerned. "You know how many people are out there?"

"Yes, but that's 180 people a week Tricia. 180 more clean people than there was the week before." Piper was excited and trying overly hard to convince her homeless friends the project would work.

Finally, Alex spoke up. "Look, I think this is a lot to take in. It's almost lunch time and Justin has work to do. How about we take a break for lunch and meet back here in two hours? That will give you two some time to talk about things alone. The only thing I ask is that you keep it between the two of you, okay?" Taystee and Tricia agreed and went towards the cafeteria.

"Whew, at least they are listening. I thought Taystee would hate me." Piper closed the plans she had shown the women and stacked the folders on the corner of the desk. "Let's go."

Nicky jumped up. "Thank God! I'm starving. Where we are going bosses?"

Alex put her hand on her friend's shoulder and laughed. "Who said anything about going anywhere but here? You are going to shove a sandwich down your throat right quick then learn what it takes to feed three hundred homeless people lunches." She gently shoved Nicky towards the kitchen.

"Hey, I didn't sign up for this." Nicky protested the entire way.

"Oh yes you did, my friend. Oh yes you did."

* * *

The three women finally served the last of the clients then returned to the office to collapse. "Damn Alex. You didn't warn me how rough that was going to be." Nicky wiped the sweat off her forehead and downed part of a bottle of water.

"What? Working?" Alex's sarcastic tone had the trio laughing. "Think those two will come back or did we scare them off?"

"They'll be back." Piper's voice expressed her positivity about the situation. "I think they liked the idea and they definitely want a job."

About then the door opened and Taystee and Tricia rejoined the group. "Welcome back ladies." Nicky offered her hand to each of them. "We are glad you returned."

Taystee started talking. "Me and Tricia talked during lunch. And we have some questions." Piper nodded at her to continue. "What would it take to keep the buses open longer?"

Piper was shocked at the question. It wasn't quite what she was expecting. "Right now, another driver and attendant. I'm not going to ask either of you to work more than the standard forty hours per week. Then if the project is successful, we will hire more people. We are also in the process of outfitting another bus. There's a lot of coordination that goes with this project. But we are dedicated to only hiring homeless or formerly homeless for our work staff."

Tricia looked at Taystee questioningly. This time Tricia spoke. "That brings us to our next question. We park these buses in front of a different shelter every day. Then are you expecting us to go back to a shelter and sleep? That's messed up."

The look on Piper's face showed how stunned she was that they would even think that. "My goodness no Tricia. We haven't even gotten to the compensation package yet."

"Compensation package? What's that?" Tricia screwed up her eyes and cocked her head sideways.

"Money fool." Taystee laughed.

"For now, we have a contract with an extended stay hotel that's close to where the buses will be kept. They are like little efficiency apartments. Your housing will be taken care of as long as you remain in good employment standing. Eventually we hope to find something more long term. In addition, you will receive a modest hourly wage."

Tricia leaned forward. "How modest?"

Taystee hit her on the shoulder again. "Damn girl. Piper won't do us wrong. Plus, she's going to get us some new clothes, too. Right?"

Alex decided to take Piper out of the hot seat. "Uniform coveralls will be provided for work. As well we will take you both to the store so you can get what you need for your place and yes, new clothes." She couldn't help but to grin as she watched how excited the two homeless women became.

Taystee jumped up. "Count me in! When do we start?"

Piper grinned at her friend. "If you can manage to stay here one more night, Nicky and I will pick you up in the morning. We can go see your new home and head out shopping. That'll give you time to say bye to all your friends. The bus will be delivered next week. So, we have a lot to do in a short time."

Nicky kept quiet all this time watching the interactions between the others. She was truly beginning to understand the meaning of and importance behind this new project.

* * *

Nicky, Alex, and Piper left the two ecstatic women and headed back to their temporary office. As they rode on the L, Nicky expressed her amazement at what she had observed. "You two really have a way with these people."

" _These people_? Nicky, they are just that – people. I think you will find that the more you interact with  _these people_ , you will learn that." Alex was almost perturbed at her friend.

"No Stretch, that's not what I mean. It's just the interactions. Ugh. I don't know how to say it. I was just impressed okay?"

Piper leaned over and placed a hand on Nicky's shoulder. "It's okay Nicky. I understand what you mean. You know I lived on the streets for six weeks not too long ago. Maybe that's why I relate so well to them. I need to tell you my story sometime."

"Errrr I know some of it. Alex and I talked about how you two 'met'. But that's neither here nor there. A story for another day."

Piper turned her body towards Alex. Now it was her turn to lift her eyebrow at Alex who simply shrugged then grinned as she spoke. "I have my punch list for the rest of today and tomorrow. I need to visit the initial five shelters we have selected and drop off the flyers and sign-in sheets. Well four shelters since 51st Street is taken care of obviously. I also need to visit suppliers for the shower supplies, towels, and socks."

"How about we regroup for take-out tonight at my place?" Alex's eyes grew wide at her best friend's offer knowing what her place looked like. "I know what you are thinking Alex, but I've actually cleaned. Well hired cleaners, but at least it's presentable."

* * *

When the doorbell rang signifying the arrival of Chinese, Nicky leapt up to get the food. Piper took a swallow of beer and looked at Alex. "I thought we were going to dinner tonight."

Alex looked at the floor and scuffed the floor with her foot. "We are having dinner Piper."

"You  _know_  what I mean. Me and you. To talk."

"Yeah, well, business comes first. Things are really coming down to the wire here. With the pre-work you already had completed, the grand opening, if you will, is rushing us."

"I won't let you sweep this under the rug Alex. It's important to me."

Their conversation was interrupted by Nicky setting the food on the table. She was chattering away as she pulled carton of carton out of the bags. The bushy haired woman plopped back on her couch, chopsticks in hand and was shoveling food into her mouth. "Oh, I talked to Marka today. What are you doing this weekend? Nothing? Good! We have an event Saturday night." A few grains of rice went flying as Nicky talked through her food.

Alex let out an exasperated sigh. "Nicky we are under a time crunch right now. We can't be going to 'events'." Alex made air quotes with her chopsticks and fingers.

"Wait, wait, wait Stretch. This event isn't negotiable." Alex ducked her head to her chin and glared at Nicky. "It's a fund-raiser and naming ceremony. She wants our foundation to start getting on its own feet. Plus, we need something to put on the side of our bus. And honestly, with the contacts both mine and Blondie's family have, we can raise a lot of money to jumpstart  _our_  foundation's bank account."

Piper put down her carton and chopsticks. "In addition to getting the girls settled, we must name our new foundation, and finish up the rest of our bus punch list. No problem." She grabbed her food again and dug in a little too hard.

"Look, you guys know how my mom is. Piper, your mom is probably the same way. I don't think we can get out of this. But come on, we do need a name – for the foundation and for the project. The fundraiser is Saturday, and we start business Monday. That gives us just over a week until we pull the trigger. I think we can do it."

As the women finished eating, they tossed some names around but didn't come up with anything substantial. At one point, Piper glanced at Alex to catch the dark-haired woman's green eyes boring into her, almost as if Alex was in a trance. After a few moments, Alex broke eye contact and looked at Nicky.

"Nicky do you trust me?"

"Of course, I trust you, you big idiot. You are my best friend."

"What about you Piper?" The blonde nodded.

"I have the perfect name. I'll get in touch with Marka tomorrow about the fund-raiser and get the wrapper made for the bus. I know a guy who can design the graphic I want and get the wrapper in time for Monday."

"What's the name?"

Alex shook her head. "Nope, you'll just have to trust me. It's perfect." Alex stood, gathered her trash and dumped it in the garbage. "But since my to-do list just got longer, I probably need to go. Thanks for dinner Nic."

Leaping up, Piper hurriedly cleaned up as well. "Ummm I need to go, too. Thanks Nicky. I need the name of that Chinese delivery place! See you tomorrow at the shelter."

* * *

As Alex waited on the elevator to take her down, she was surprised to see Piper rushing out of the condo. "In a hurry?"

"Alex, we need to talk. Seriously."

The elevator dinged as the doors opened. Alex motioned for Piper to go in before her. She faced the blonde during the ride to the ground floor, yet neither woman spoke. Alex exited first and hailed a cab. As she did the night before, Alex climbed in and sat for a few moments before motioning Piper to follow her.

The ride was again silent, but upon arrival to their location, Alex went directly to her apartment and not the café. When she turned to face Piper in the elevator, Piper's breath hitched as she almost expected to be ravaged. She was almost disappointed when Alex exited the elevator without touching her. Despite trying to push images of the previous night from her mind, Piper got a sense of arousal as she walked into the apartment. She took a seat on the couch, ankles crossed.

"Coffee? Something stronger?"

"Water please."

Piper heard the plastic ring cracking open then a bottle of water appeared over her shoulder. Alex came around and took a seat next to her on the couch. The silence was uncomfortable.

"You said we needed to talk." Piper nodded her head slightly. "So, talk."

Piper felt a sea of anxiety rise from her stomach. She sucked in a shaky breath, feeling her throat constrict. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her breathing to calm her nerves. When she opened her eyes, Alex was looking at her, a gentle, almost concerned look on her face.

"It's okay Piper. I'm not angry anymore. I just want you to talk to me since you seem to think we need to talk."

"I just can't have you mad at me or confused at my intentions."

"Pipes, I will never know what made you subject yourself to such harsh conditions in the name of research. I respect you for what you did." The nickname just slipped out and brought the women to a familiar level. She gently scooted next to Piper and placed her arm around the blonde's shoulders, pulling her in close to her side.

"You said the other night that I was your knight in shining armor. Let me let you in on a little secret. That's exactly who I wanted to be. You weren't the only one who had someone constantly on her mind. I looked for you everywhere. I saw you in every person I saw but in nobody I met. You were in my dreams and in my nightmares."

Piper curled into Alex, placing her hand on Alex's thigh. "I'm sorry Alex. I never meant for you to think I was playing the system because I wasn't, and I definitely wasn't playing you. That's what I needed to say. I simply had to be sure you heard me."

Alex kissed the top of Piper's head as Piper made a sound of contentment. The room was quiet as they simply enjoyed each other's presence.

"Al?" Alex murmured an acknowledgement as she again kissed Piper's head then moved down to kiss her ear. "This feels good. You feel good." Piper turned her head upwards and found Alex's lips. Their kiss was gentle without a trace of the harshness of the night before. Slow and languid, the two women enjoyed the warmth of each other.

As Alex continued to hold Piper's body against her, Piper let her hand drift across Alex's stomach, finding her way beneath the taller woman's sweater. Alex's breath hitched as Piper touched her skin gently. "Piper… Piper are you sure about this?" Alex whispered without breaking the kiss.

Piper reached down over Alex's jeans to her crotch and lightly ran her fingers across Alex's center. "Positive."

Only then did Alex break the kiss. Standing, she gently swooped her arms under Piper's shoulders and legs and carried her into the bedroom.

* * *

For the second morning in a row, Alex opened her eyes to the strange feeling of another body next to hers. She gently turned over to not disturb Piper who was sleeping on her stomach with her blonde hair spread across her back. This time, Alex pulled the sheet and the duvet over both of them, ensuring Piper was properly covered.

Piper yawned and stretched her arms over her head as she turned over to see Alex staring at her. "Mmmm you are still here. Last time, I woke up to an empty bed."

"It's not morning yet." Alex smiled softly and leaned over to kiss Piper. "But I'm not running this time. I don't know what this," she motioned between the two of them, "means, but I'm not running." Piper answered with a smile as she returned Alex's kiss. “Plus, last time I was just on the balcony.”

Alex stretched out on her back as Piper lay a leg over her and wrapped an arm around her torso. "Oh god Pipes. Are we going to be able to get all of this done?"

"Think positive Al."

"Look I need to go see my design guy then see if Marka can fit me in. Is there any way you can deliver the flyers and sign-up sheets this morning? That will give me time to get a chunk of my extra stuff done."

Piper leaned up on one elbow. "Ummm I'm supposed to take the girls shopping."

"Nicky can handle that. She has a credit card."

"Yeah, but does she have a driver's license? From what I hear from Marka, Nicky's pretty much a wild child."

"Naw Nicky doesn't drive. But she has a driver and car. The girls will get a kick out of it and I never pass up an opportunity to fuck with Nicky. Shhhh listen."

Alex grabbed her phone, pressed Nicky's name, and put the phone on speaker.

"What the fuck you want? It's still dark out. This better be important Stretch."

"Hey, uhhh, something came up with Piper. You need to pick up the girls this morning – take them shopping and then by the hotel. Got it?"

"What came up with Piper? Your dick? This isn't funny Alex. You know I don't shop."

"Oh come on, it will be fun. Bonus – the girls will get a kick out of their own private car and driver." Nicky was still grumbling her protests when Alex disconnected.

"I'm sure I'll pay for that later, but meh." Alex chuckled. "So now will you handle the flyers? I'm sure Red will be happy to see you."

"Maybe."

"Maybe? What's up Pipes?"

Piper crawled on top of Alex, slipping her hand down Alex's pajamas. "Your dick?"

Alex grabbed the back of Piper's head and pulled it in for a fierce kiss. "What I have for you is better than any dick you can find." She flipped Piper over onto her back and latched her mouth onto her breast, slightly wincing as Piper dug her nails into the scratches from the night before.

* * *

Alex finished her muffin and had her to-go coffee topped off. She leaned over and kissed Piper gently. "I'll see you later?"

"Counting on it." Piper smiled as she watched Alex stride towards the L.

Piper opened the messenger bag which had the distribution material inside. She pulled out a flyer. She had to admit, Marka had a point. The flyers did look silly without a name to associate the bus with. She had assumed the project would be under the Nichols' Foundation umbrella. Perhaps this was a way for Marka to give her daughter some responsibility in something meaningful. It's not like Nicky had to work, but some say that philanthropy done the right way is a job all in itself.

As Piper walked towards the 32nd Street shelter where she volunteered prior to her stint as a homeless researcher, she posted flyers in places she knew the homeless people in the area would find them. She thought back to her time on the street and how hard it was to get a shower as the shelter had limited availability. She would have given anything to have possible access to a shower a week around where she stayed.

* * *

"So I'm sitting there, barbecue sauce on my titties, and I'm all like what the  **fuck** ,  _again_?" Taystee and Tricia were rolling laughing in the back of the car.

Nicky knocked on the divider window and motioned to the driver to pull over. She quickly got out and crawled into the front. "Those some crazy ass bitches Eddie."

The driver looked at her and smiled. "And  _you_  my child, are perfectly sane? I can remember picking you up on nights when you can barely walk. I'll take crazy over drunk and high any day. Crazy doesn't puke." Eddie pulled into the parking lot of the big box store. "Call me when you are ready."

"Thanks Eddie." Nicky groaned as she pulled herself out of the car. "Hi ladies. So here is how it's going to go. I hate to shop. The hotel has basic toiletries: soap, towels and such. The rooms also have a small kitchen with a refrigerator. Keeping that in mind, you need to get some food for a few days until you settle in, clothes, and whatever else you need. Piper did ask that you do not buy alcohol or tobacco. Otherwise, have at it. Meet me back up front to check-out."

Both women grabbed a cart and Taystee took off down the first aisle screaming like a banshee. Nicky rolled her eyes. "Children." She found herself a place to sit and began playing Candy Crush. Eventually both women made their way back up to the check-out area. They each were eating a bar of ice cream.

"Ice cream? Seriously? It's like 28 degrees outside."

"It ain't just an ice cream, it's a chocolate vanilla swirl with cookie crunch, please! And when you have been deprived, everything tastes good. Tricia here has ding-dongs, ho-hos, and powered donuts." They began to unload their selections onto the conveyor belt.

Nicky was surprised to see several large books come out of Taystee's basket. Taystee must have seen the look on her face. "What you think I can't read? Hell, I have a driver's license. You don't even have that."

"Yeah," Nicky retorted. "But Harry Potter?"

"J.K. Fucking Rowling! Get this, some punk-ass publisher read Harry fucking Potter and was like "nope!". Dumb ass. She be a million millionaire now." Taystee tossed the multi-set volume onto the belt. "Don't be fuckin' with Harry Potter."

Eventually everything was paid for and Eddie took care of loading the bags into the back of the car. Next stop… the hotel. After the two new employees were settled in, Nicky made sure nothing else was needed. "I'll drop by in the afternoon to check on you. Then tomorrow we get started bright and early."

Taystee hopped from one foot to the other. "Yippy skippy boss. And thanks for the trip in the dope ride. Taystee out." She twirled around and headed to her room.

* * *

Piper changed her route and saved the 32nd street shelter for last so she could help serve lunch. She entered the side delivery door and ran head-on to Red as she was rushing to the kitchen to prep.

"Ahhh the prodigal child returns again." Red clucked and shooed Piper into the kitchen to begin work. As they worked side by side, Piper told her all about the new project and how fast they had been able to get it up and running.

"The bus is mobile and we will park at a different shelter every week day. People can sign up with you for 15-minute slots. Then while they wait, they can take advantage of services offered here at the shelter."

"You've done well child. I always knew you had a good heart."

"Ummmm Red, I have a favor to ask. There is a gala Saturday, a benefit for my new foundation. Well our new foundation that is doing all of this. I'd like for you to come. It's a fund raiser but you'd be a guest."

"Oh dear, you know I don't do fancy clothes. I'll just hear all about it from my favorite volunteer when she comes to park her big bus in front of my shelter. Now go get another pan of vegetables."

* * *

Alex left Marka's office satisfied that the foundation president approved of the name and initial design presented. When Alex gave Nicky's mother the report detailing the work that the trio had done, Marka was delighted to hear that Nicky had been pulling her weight. "Don't let her stop Alex. You've been a good influence on my daughter. I want her to find purpose in life other than just partying and getting arrested."

Alex spent the rest of the day arranging for suppliers. She was desperately trying to conserve cash by looking for in-kind donations in exchange for some advertising on the back of the bus. This would certainly help in the short term and possibly lead into a long-term solution.

Once Alex made it home after completing her list of so-called chores, she fell into her overstuffed easy chair. As soon as the burden of the long day and many tasks was lifted, her mind immediately snapped to Piper. Thoughts of the blonde woman had been on the edge of her thoughts all day. Never had a few moments deliberation seemed like an eternity as she finally felt her consciousness ebbing away, and her thoughts, as clear and concise as they were mere moments ago, were coming to an end. Her eyes drifted closed as sleep fought its way to the forefront.

* * *

Alex woke up to a buzzing sound that she couldn't quite place. Opening her eyes, she saw her phone walking across the table. Without looking at the screen, she clicked the answer button. "'Lo." Her typical deep, raspy voice was a little gruffer from sleep.

"Hey."

A smile crossed the dark-haired woman's face as she cleared her throat. "Hey yourself."

"Why do I get the feeling I woke you up?" Piper laughed at the seemingly groggy Alex.

"S'ok. What's up? I got all my chores done."

"Aren't you a good little girl? I bet you worked up an appetite with all of that running around the city. How about a little dinner? Just me and you this time."

"Damn Pipes," Alex grumbled. "I'm pretty damned wiped out from today. As much as I'd love to see you, can I take a rain check?"

A rapping on Alex's door startled her. "Hang on. Someone's here." Alex cradled the phone between her shoulder and ear and went to answer her door.

"Would you take delivery instead?" The voice came through the phone and from the blonde holding a cell phone in one hand and a bag of take-out in the other. Piper hung up her phone. "I took a chance that you might be home and hungry. I hope I was right."

Alex relieved Piper of the bag and motioned her inside. She sat the bag on the kitchen island and wrapped her arms around Piper's waist. "You guessed right, and I'm glad you did. I'm starving." Piper gave her a mock look of shock. "Okay, I'll admit. I'm glad to see you, too." She gave Piper a strong kiss before they both dug into the food.

Once dinner was finished and the mess cleaned up, Piper grabbed her coat. Alex looked at her strangely. "What? I'm headed home for tonight. I thought you'd like to have your space back." Alex frowned. "You gonna miss me?

Alex grabbed Piper and ravaged her lips with a passionate kiss. "What do you think? Stay, please."

Piper struggled into her coat and winked at Alex. "The next few days are going to be busy. I think we  _both_  need our rest. Besides, you know what they say, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'."

* * *

Friday was spent tying up loose ends before the grand opening of the shower buses on Monday. Supplies had begun to arrive at the hotel. A room was being used to store the goods until a storage shed could be delivered to the lot where the bus was going to be kept. Piper, Alex, and Nicky spent the evening with Taystee and Tricia treating them to a nice dinner. It was Piper's way of ensuring Tricia's loyalty stayed with the team.

The bus was to be delivered on Saturday. Because Alex's connections had worked exceptionally quickly, the bus had already been wrapped with the foundation's new name and logo. Alex wanted to ensure the identity remained a secret until the unveiling at the fund-raising dinner, so she made sure Nicky and Piper were clear that they were to stay away from the lot at all costs.

Alex met Taystee and Tricia at the lot to show them the bus. "Dammmmmmmmmmn boss. That's one tricked out bus. If it looks this fine on the outside, I can only imagine what the inside look like." Needless to say, Taystee was impressed.

Alex gave them a tour of the inside and showed them how everything worked. She pointed out the storage lockers for the supplies – cleaner, towels, wash clothes, and amenity kit’s. They discussed the routine which was also on a laminated card which was affixed inside each locker. Between clients, Tricia was responsible for cleaning and sanitizing the area and stocking fresh linens and amenity kits.

"Taystee, you oversee organizing the line of people outside and determining who is next on the sign-up sheet. Also, as clients come out, they should deposit two towels and a wash cloth in the hamper."

Tricia made a sour look. "What? You don't trust our peeps? Besides who cares if we lose a few towels. It's not like our people have much anyway."

"It matters to our budget." Alex's face showed concern yet understanding for Tricia's words. "At this point in our project, we are not providing towels for the clients to take. But the ones we have are high quality and heavy duty, the best  _our_  people have felt in a long time."

Back at the hotel, Alex showed them how to assemble an amenities kit. Each client would receive a comb, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a new pair of socks. Shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel would be in heavy duty dispensers mounted in each shower stall.

"Assemble as many kits as you can today and tomorrow because I know you won't feel like it after working during the day. Lord knows I wouldn't." Alex chuckled. "How are you doing with your advance? Is the money holding up?" Tricia looked at Taystee but both women stayed quiet. "Wait, don't answer that." Alex pressed some cash into Taystee's hand. "The pizza place around the corner makes a pretty mean pie. See ya tomorrow."

* * *

Nicky was fidgeting with her bow tie. "Is this fucking thing tied right?"

Alex walked over to her friend and straightened her tie. "It's fine Nic. And you look dashing, I might add."

Nicky had chosen a retro look – a tailor fitted tuxedo type jacket with tails, fitted slacks, a black bow tie and black patent leather pumps. She topped her look off with a felt derby which she placed slightly cock-eyed atop her slicked back hair.

"Thanks, Stretch. I'm sure this isn't the formal look Marka meant, but I do look fine if I say so myself. And you – damn you clean up nice."

A tight black dress hugged Alex's curves in all the right places, the scooped neck showed off her ample bosom. The dress abruptly ended slightly below Alex's hips allowing her incredibly long, creamy legs to be spotlighted. Her heels added a few inches to her already tall height and stretched her calves out for a delectable sight.

"Damn buddy, how can we call ourselves eligible bachelors with you in that smoking dress." Nicky was still checking herself in the full-length mirror to ensure everything was just right. "Alex? Right? Just two single guys on the hunt for some chicks."

Alex chuckled as she made sure her hair was pulled back just right. "Sure Nic, whatever you say."

* * *

When Alex saw Piper, everything came to a screeching halt. The world fell away, drained of all color but her, standing in the doorway. The flowing cauliflower blue dress adorned with quite the generous slit up the side allowed Alex's imagination to kick into overdrive. Of course, she had seen the legs beneath the flimsy cloth, had them wrapped around her in fact. Yet she wasn't prepared for the sight of the woman who had just walked in.

Piper warmly greeted the Marka and gracefully scanned the room for other familiar faces. As her eyes landed upon Alex, her face lit up like a kid's in a candy store. She made her way up the stairs to the landing where Nicky and Alex stood. Standing on her tip-toes, she whispered into Alex's ear. Alex was so mesmerized by the blonde, she didn't quite catch what was said.

"Ummmm you look nice Pipes," was about all Alex could choke out.

Knowing she had flustered the taller woman, Piper turned to Nicky. "And aren't you the dapper one?"

Nicky gave her a sideways grin and tipped her derby. "I don't know about you two, but I came here for the free booze." With that, Nicky was off in search of a server bearing flutes of champagne.

Piper turned her attention back to Alex. "I look  _nice_ , eh? Is that all you can come up with?"

"Actually," Alex whispered. "Yes. My mouth is dry, and my blood seems to be pooled in a certain part of my body. Let's see if Nicky found drinks before I find a dark room to drag you into." She offered her arm to Piper who slipped hers inside the crook of Alex's elbow.

They found Nicky chatting it up with one of the servers. Alex approached and cleared her throat. "Oh, I'm sorry." The woman blushed and began to walk away to resume her duties.

Alex snagged two more flutes from the tray. "Just don't believe what Nicky says. She's a snake." Alex winked at the server as she rushed off.

"Don't ruin all my fun pal. This is the first drink I've had in quite some time."

"I know. And if you get sloshed or put any drug other than alcohol in your body, I'll string you up by your pubic hairs."

"Damn Vause. You know how to hurt a woman." The trio laughed.

"Fuck." Piper's voice was low as she turned to face the wall, away from the crowd.

"What's wrong Pipes?"

"Don't look now but you are about to meet my mother who probably  _is_  sloshed. I'm sorry in advance."

About that time, a loud voice slurred from behind them. "Piper my darling, is that you?"

Turning to face her mom with a fake smile, she replied, "Mother. How are you?"

"You've been ignoring me Piper Elizabeth. I taught you better than that." Carol was almost to the stumbling phase but not quite yet.

"Mother, I'd like for you to meet my colleagues. This is Alex Vause, and I believe you know Nicky Nichols, Marka's daughter. Ladies, this is my mother – Carol Chapman."

"Well at least you remembered your manners. Some of your raising seemed to have stuck."

"Thanks for coming to show your support Mother. We have to go now." Piper quickly ushered her friends away from her mother. "Sorry you had to see that."

"No need to apologize Piper. You aren't to blame." Alex placed a kiss on the corner of Piper's lips.

Nicky made a gagging noise. "You two are sick. Get a room. Wait, don't get a room. Fuck, I don't know what to say. Never mind."

* * *

Dessert was being served after a wonderful dinner that had cost the attendees several hundred dollars a plate. The booze was freely flowing, and many donors were getting loosened up. Marka hoped the last portion of the evening would loosen their heart strings as well as their pockets to pull in some more donations.

Piper and her colleagues joined Marka on the stage as they began the presentation portion of the evening. Marka began by introducing her Piper who gave a shortened version of the presentation she had prepared for the Homeless Symposium. As she shared some of the stories of the people she had met, a few of the woman were sniffling and dabbing at the corner of their eyes.

Nicky spoke next about the project with the mobile shower units and the plans they had for expansion – the plans which all depended on funding. "Your extended generosity tonight and in the future, will ensure expanded services the homeless population of Chicago truly needs. As well, we have our wish list and immediate needs posted on our new website. I'd like to thank my mother, Marka, without whom tonight would not be possible. And I'd like to thank each of you for your attendance. Without further ado, I'd like for you to meet my colleague and best friend, Alex Vause." Nicky tipped her fedora at her pal.

Alex approached the podium and looked out at everyone who had come for the fund raiser. She studied the crowd as she steadied her nerves and gathered her thoughts. The pre-written speech which lay in front of her was quickly going to the wayside.

"I would like to tell you a story about a homeless woman. I only ran across her a few times." Alex shook her head side to side. She closed her eyes to bring her memories to the forefront. Opening her eyes, she continued to talk. "She was grimy, her clothes tattered and torn. Her gait was slow as if the heavy burden on her shoulders was too much to bear." Alex could not bear to glance over to look at Piper who was still sitting with Marka and Nicky on the stage.

"Once I saw her, I couldn't get her out of my mind. I still haven't figured out how I could be so mesmerized by someone so absolutely filthy. Then I couldn't find her. Terror coursed through my veins because I thought she had been caught up in a blizzard – trapped or even worse, dead."

"I looked everywhere for her." Out of the corner of her eye, Alex could see Piper wiping tears from her eyes. "During my search for this soiled woman, I met some incredible people. And yes, they were all dirty, grimy, filthy – just like this woman had been. I can undoubtedly say that I have never been in their shoes unlike my colleague Piper." She motioned to the blonde in the pale blue flowing dress.

"But I do know that they are people who deserve more than our city provides. Who in here can honestly say that a nice hot shower doesn't feel damned good? After a good long run in the morning or a day of working in the yard, what do you want? A shower to clean off! Admit it. We all do. Therefore, this shower project is perfect."

The audience members were all nodding in agreement. Then Alex spoke again. "Well I'm happy to tell you that I finally found that woman. She's safe. And she's also the inspiration for the name of our new foundation."

Alex motioned to the large screen behind her. "Without further ado," Alex paused as part of a logo flashed on the screen. It was a wave of blues fading from dark to light with a burst of sparkles at the end. The sparkles turned into water drops representing a shower. "The Cinderella Foundation."


	12. Grand Opening

When the name of the new foundation was revealed, a deafening roar filled the room as everyone leapt to their feet and applauded. Alex glanced sideways towards Piper to see her dabbing away the tears that had escaped despite her best effort to fend them off.

"Thank you." Piper mouthed.

Alex moved towards her personal Cinderella but was cut off by Marka who began vigorously shaking her hand. Pulling Alex in for a hug, Nicky's mom whispered into Alex's ear, "Now that's a way to bring in donations. You have quite the knack for this Alex. I'm proud of what you and my daughter have done."

Alex returned the squeeze then pushed back to look Marka in the eyes. "It takes a village Marka. None of us could have done this on our own." Alex scanned the stage, looking for Nicky who was nowhere to be found. Her eyes finally lit on her best friend who was talking to her father and some additional well-dressed gentlemen who was writing a check. Once he finished and tore it out of his leather book, he folded it and pressed it into Nicky's hand.

A light hand pressed the small of Alex's back. When she turned, her eyes lit up when she realized Piper was standing next to her. No words were shared during their quick embrace. Several new benefactors approached the pair to congratulate them and wish them luck on their upcoming ventures.

As people began to again mill around and migrate towards the open bar and dance floor, the two had a brief moment alone. Alex's face wore a self-conscious smile as she asked Piper, "So, the name. Do you like it?"

"Alex. I more than like it. It's perfect. Your story made it even that more poignant. Thank you."

Alex's self-conscious smile widened into one that showed much more confidence and pride. "It's me who should be thanking you." She wrapped an arm around Piper's shoulders for one last squeeze. "What do you say we go and pick the pockets of these rich folk?"

"Alex!" Piper swatted the taller woman with her pocket book as they ventured their separate ways into the crowd to schmooze for more money.

* * *

 **Buzzzzzzz! Buzzzzz!**  Alex woke up to someone leaning on her doorbell. Soon the person outside started banging against the door as well. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she looked beside her at the woman lying next to her. Still sleeping soundly, Piper was dead to the world. Alex covered her with a quilt then pulled on a pair of sweat pants and t-shirt. Wrenching her door open, Alex glared down at her best friend who shoved her much taller pal out of the opening as she forced her way into the apartment.

"What the fuck Nicky?" Alex's voice was a forced whisper as she really didn't want to awaken Piper.

"You two were supposed to be at my place an hour ago. What gives? Are you too caught up in your sex den here that you forgot?"

"Keep your voice down Nicky." Alex went to the kitchen island to retrieve her phone to check the time. "Damn it. I guess I forgot to set my alarm."

"But you didn't forget to fuck our partner, I bet!" Nicky began rummaging through Alex's cabinet for makings of coffee.

Alex slapped Nicky on the side of her head. "Why are you such a douche mouth?"

"Why do you fuck all the pretty girls?"

"Because why waste time fucking ugly ones." Alex rolled her eyes and motioned towards the coffee pot. "You just keep doing that and we'll get ready."

When she returned to the bedroom, Piper was still sleeping. Her hair was splayed out across the bed as she lay on her stomach. An angelic look on her face. Alex smiled as she gently brushed the golden hair to one side so that she could kiss the sleeping woman's neck.

Piper unconsciously moved into Alex's soft caress and slowly woke up. Turning over, she wrapped her arms around Alex's neck and tried to pull her to the bed. Alex leaned over and pressed a kiss onto Piper's lips as she whispered. "Time to wake up Pipes."

"Mmmmmm time to come back to bed."

Alex gave a deep throaty chuckle. "No gorgeous. We have company, and it's time to get up. We have to get to the bus yard and make sure everything is good for tomorrow."

Piper frowned as she opened her eyes and stretched, slowly warming up her muscles so she could crawl out of bed. "You aren't any fun."

"That's not what you said last night." Alex laughed. "Take a shower and I'll leave you some sweats on the bed along with one of our new foundation t-shirts. We can drop by your place before heading to the bus yard so you can get your own clothes."

"T-shirts?"

"Yup. I had a busy couple of days getting all of this put together. We have several cases of t-shirts for the grand opening of the buses all week. I also got the coveralls for Trish and Taystee. The logo is stitched on them and everything."

"You  _were_  busy. Such a good little girl." Piper crawled on the bed on her knees over to the edge where Alex stood. "You should be rewarded." Piper pulled Alex into her and kissed her deeply as she started to massage Alex's breasts, a weak spot of the woman's she had already found.

Alex grasped Piper's hands and pulled them away. "Nope. Shower. Now."

Piper pouted as she crawled out of bed, naked, and made her way to the shower.

* * *

When the trio of women pulled up at the bus yard, Nicky let out a low whistle. "Wowzer Stretch. That's one pretty bus we have there. You did good pal."

Alex had paid a premium and called in some favors to have the bus wrapped with the foundation logo at such short notice. The artist had definitely done an excellent job in designing a symbol that was perfect for the shirts and bus. It would undoubtedly render well to stationery, advertising, etc.

Trish was stocking the bus with linens and a case of amenity kits stood waiting for Taystee to load them into their place. Taystee waved at her new bosses. "Yo bitches. This bus is the bomb. We gonna be stylin' driving around town." She hitched her hips forward and poofed her hair with her hand. "This ride gets the Taystee stamp of approval." With that, she tapped one foot against the ground and spun around.

Nicky popped the trunk open and took a case of t-shirts over and set it down next to the amenity kits. "For opening week, we want to wrap each amenity kit with a Cinderella Foundation shirt. You two can take a couple home for yourselves if you want."

"Did you get the coveralls?" Alex walked around the bus as she did not get to inspect it when it was delivered the day before.

Trish stuck her head out of the bus. "Yeah Alex. Thanks. Those are boss."

"Good. I could only get one set embroidered yesterday, but you'll have at least one more set by Tuesday."

Since their arrival, Piper had been silent. She was walking around the bus, taking it all in. As she came out of inspecting the inside of the bus, a wide grin was plastered on her face. She was practically skipping as she made her way over to Nicky and Alex. She was literally bouncing as she bumped into Alex grinning.

Alex couldn't help smiling herself. "I take it you approve of the bus." Piper nodded vigorously. "Why aren't you talking then?" Alex chuckled. Nicky and Alex both paused as they watched Piper.

"Stop it guys. I'm trying not to cry. This is a dream come true for me. You have no idea what it's like to realize what you thought was one of your life dreams right after grad school."

"I agree whole heartedly," Nicky said sarcastically. "Oh wait, I didn't go to grad school. I barely got out of high school." Alex pushed her and gave her a warning look as she wrapped her arms around Piper.

Taystee's voice broke the moment as she yelled out. "I hate to ruin the moment, but we could use some help bosses!" Almost afraid to not obey their driver, the trio headed over to the bus and began to help load supplies for the next day's run.

* * *

Alex hovered over Piper, her black hair raining down like a curtain framing the blonde's face. She kissed Piper's forehead then her chin and moved to one side to run her tongue along Piper's jaw to her throat. She reached down, feeling for Piper's hand and pulled it to place it on her own breast, urging Piper.

Dropping her hips, Alex pressed herself against Piper's and settled her weight gently on top of the blonde. She kissed Piper's neck and moved to the other side, sucking her way back towards Piper's ear.

When Piper hesitated to respond, Alex pushed herself up to one elbow and locked eyes with Piper. "What's bothering you Pipes?" When Piper didn't respond, but looked away, Alex kissed the tip of her nose. "It's going to be okay, you know. We've planned tomorrow perfectly."

Piper scrunched her eyes shut then used the back of her hand to wipe away any tears that threatened to leak from the corner of her eyes. "I hope you are right."

Alex hooked her leg under Piper's and pulled her leg to meet her own center and began to rub. Piper grabbed a handful of Alex's ass and pulled it into her before letting go. "Al? Will you just hold me?"

Cocking her head sideways, Alex looked at Piper. Pushing her own desire down, she settled on her back and pulled Piper close into her and held her until she fell asleep

* * *

When Nicky came banging on Alex's door the next morning, she was surprised to find the pair already awake and ready to go. This was to be an early day since there were several things to get readied before the bus could actually open its doors.

The fire department was meeting them at the first shelter to show Taystee and Trish how to hook up to the fire hydrant for their water supply. Nicky had taken care of arrangements for the ribbon cutting ceremony, and all three of them would be handing out shirts and information pamphlets.

Alex, Piper, and Nicky arrived at the shelter on 32nd and Rand the same time as the bus. The fire department had blocked off a large enough space for the bus to park and got busy working with the crew. Nicky and Alex unloaded two stanchions and stationed one on either side of a red-carpet Piper had rolled from the front of the bus towards the door of the shelter.

When Marka arrived, she had a long golden ribbon and a large pair of ceremonial scissors. Passing those off to her daughter to prepare for the ribbon cutting, she pulled Piper aside and whispered some words in private. Alex watched as Piper's eyes widened. Piper pocketed something Marka gave her as she turned to help ready the area. While Piper seemed a bit rattled, Alex did not approach the blonde as she knew that if Piper felt she needed to know what was said, Piper would tell her.

Quite a large crowd had shown for the grand opening of the Cinderella Foundation's inaugural bus service. The press was set up on one side, and Alex recognized many of the faces from the fund raiser. A special area was set up opposite the press – padded folding chairs that were roped off and tagged with a sign that said  _Reserved for Special Guests_.

Piper went into the shelter and came out with Red and several of the homeless people she knew personally from volunteering or from her time with the streets. They filed into the reserved seating and took their seats. Nicky motioned towards the mic, but Piper shook her head slightly.

Soon a black Town car with tinted windows pulled up. The driver leapt out and opened the rear door. A woman stepped out, and the driver closed the door and stood beside the car. She walked to Marka and shook her hand, a pleasant look on her face. Marka smiled and nodded then stepped to the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Marka Nichols of the Nichols Foundations. I would like to present to you a woman that needs no introduction, our Mayor." While confused, the crowd gave a round of polite applause.

Nicky leaned over to Alex. "That bitch knows how to make an entrance, doesn't she? She's trying to squeeze in some good press since it's election year." Alex struggled to contain her mirth.

The mayor spoke a bit about how important a cause homelessness was to her administration. She praised Piper and the new Cinderella Foundation for their new venture. She then began to talk about city initiatives she was trying to fund to help the homeless. Soon the crowd was becoming restless. Luckily, she wrapped up her speech before the crowd began to leave.

"Whew," Nicky said under her breath where only Alex could hear.

Piper was next to the microphone. They had agreed that she would be the spokesperson at the grand opening. She shortened her remarks, making sure to keep them focused directly on the project and direct needs of the homeless.

"And without further ado, the Cinderella bus is officially open." Piper turned and waved her hand towards the front doors of the bus where Marka stood with Nicky and Alex on either side of her. They cut the ribbon as the crowd enthusiastically clapped.

The first two customers were escorted from the waiting area to the bus. Nicky and Alex were assigned to help Taystee and Trish while everyone got used to the new routine of the shower process. Piper approached the VIP section where Red sat, dabbing her eyes.

"You did it my prodigal child. You actually did it. I am so proud of you." Red was beside herself with emotions as she saw the fanfare around the front of the shelter.

"This is only the start Red. I promise that we are going to do good things. I have you to thank for motivating me and supporting me through all of this."

"Child, you did it all on your own."

"Oh, I have something for you." Piper reached into her pocket for what Marka had given her earlier. "I didn't think you would appreciate being called out in front of the crowd." She handed Red a check. "For your wish list Mom."

Red was speechless as she looked at the check Piper had handed her. "I figured the money would help, so you could get exactly what you need. It's from the Nichols Foundation, run by Nicky's mom."

Tears rolled down Red's face as she embraced her favorite volunteer.

* * *

All five women collapsed in the make-shift lounge area of the bus barn. "That was one hell of a long day." Trish cracked open a cold bottle of water and drained it in one long drink.

"Yeah boss ladies. We may need to renegotiate some things." Taystee grinned towards Piper.

Nicky scoffed. "Look, we are as tired as you and we are doing this on our own time."

"Nicky…" Alex's voice had a warning tone.

"Just kidding, just kidding. I'm going to order Chinese. What's everyone want?"

"Like we are supposed to know what's good?" Trish rolled her eyes at Nicky. “Never had Chinese.”

"Okay, okay," Nicky raised her hands defensively. "I'll just get a variety. How's that?" She pulled herself up and went outside to make the phone call.

"I had no idea that was going to be so hard." Piper wiped the sweat off her face off with her shirt. "We may need to get some more workers sooner than we thought Alex. Run some double shifts until we get a handle on this thing."

Alex nodded in agreement. She looked over at Taystee. "Got anyone in mind Taystee? Trish? We are headed to y'all's stomping grounds Wednesday. I can get word to Justin and see if he can find them."

"Yeah, I think I know a few that might be interested you can trust. Mind if we keep the crew all female for now? I think both us would feel more comfortable that way."

"I don't have a problem with that." Piper looked at Alex who shrugged her shoulders.

After dinner, everyone chipped in and restocked the bus. Alex appreciated getting a better understanding of what all it was going to take to run this operation by the boots on the ground. It would take all five of them to be involved this week as they worked through any kinks in the system.

* * *

Alex dropped Nicky off at her place. Before driving off, Alex looked over at Piper to ask of her intentions for the night, where she wanted to sleep. Alex did not want to presume Piper would stay with her every night although she was beginning to become increasingly attached to the blonde.

She smiled as she saw Piper leaned up against the passenger door fast asleep. How she could sleep in such a position escaped reason for Alex. Alex made an executive decision to take Piper back to her place which suited her just fine.

When she arrived at her apartment, she ran up the stairs, unlocked the door and left it slightly ajar. Returning to her car, she gently opened the passenger door and pulled Piper out, cradling her in her arms. She kicked the car door shut with one foot and carried Piper towards her apartment and nudged the door open with her foot.

Alex smiled down at Piper as she began to stir. Piper sleepily looked up at Alex. "Mmmm, I think you are my fairy godmother."

"And I think you are still asleep." Alex chuckled as she tenderly lay Piper in her bed.  _And I think I'm getting myself into trouble_ , she thought to herself.


	13. Lorna

The first week of the Shower Bus program was on its fourth and final day. Piper had been on job interviews off and on and only could help sporadically. Other than all the women being absolutely exhausted, things were going quite well. The need for a different organization method and division of duties was obvious, and this was for just the one bus. The second bus was on order and would be delivered in less than a month's time which didn't give the Cinderella Foundation much time to prepare.

Alex and Nicky took over the bus work for a bit on Thursday so that Taystee and Trisha could enjoy a peaceful lunch. As well, Alex felt she and Nicky needed to experience the bus with just two people to determine if it was the best course of action in the future. Luckily Alex had the foresight to order herself, Nicky, and Piper a set of coveralls. She didn't want the employees to feel any different from the founders.

"Five minutes left." Nicky knocked on the door to shower #2. She went about cleaning and ensuring stock was in place as she kept an eye on the clock. Taking a glance at the clipboard which listed the first names of each customer, she knocked again. "One minute, ummm Lorna. Time to wrap it up."

About that time, the door popped open and a short woman with chocolate brown hair stepped out. "Alright, alright already. Geesh. A girl has to come out looking her best." She poofed her hair with one hand as she had her supplies in the other and the towels draped over her shoulder. She batted her eyes at Nicky as she headed to the door steps and exited the bus.

Nicky just stared after her and jumped when Alex stuck her head in. "What was that Nic? That chick, she came out with her hair rolled in tampons?" They both stifled their laughs.

"Let's switch right quick Vause. Stall #2 just needs to be wiped down and sanitized. The clock is running on #1."

Nicky raced outside and looked around for the woman who had just left the bus. She saw an elbow sticking out from the rear of the bus and walked toward the woman. As Nicky appeared from around the corner, the woman was startled and dropped the cap to the water bottle she held in her hand.

"Geesh, you scared me. That's no way to treat a lady." Lorna reached down to retrieve the cap and refilled it with water. She pulled a packet from her bag, poured some crystals into the cap and stirred with a cotton swab. When she realized that Nicky was staring, she said, "What? A girl has to do what a girl has to do to make herself look pretty."

Lorna painted her lips with the red liquid and puckered them in the shiny chrome on the back of the bus. "Kool aid is cheaper than lipstick."

Nicky was embarrassed for laughing with Alex earlier. She should have known that these people were doing their best to survive. She shouldn't have judged this woman. "Well you are doing great with what you have. You do look pretty."

Lorna poked Nicky's chest with her finger and screwed up her face in a pouty look. "Do. Not. Make. Fun. Of. Me." Tears were starting to form in her large brown eyes.

"No, no, no." Nicky was appalled. "I am so sorry if that is how I made you feel. I mean it. I think you are pretty."

Lorna sniffed and dabbed the tears from her eyes. "Thank you."

Nicky turned to look at the bus door over her shoulder. "Hey, I have to get back to work. But how about I make this up to you? Can I buy you dinner?"

Lorna turned her nose up. "I eat here." She pointed to the shelter.

"Please? I'd love to apologize and maybe get to know you over a meal. Look, we get done here at five and I can be back probably by 6:30 after I finish my work at the bus barn. I'll come back here then and find you."

"Humpft. Well we'd better go someplace decent." Lorna smiled, batted her eyes again and returned to the shelter.

Nicky jogged back to the bus and stuck her head in. "Ummm hey boss. I think I just made a date."

* * *

Alex rang the doorbell of Piper's flat. She leaned against the doorjamb holding a large bouquet of flowers with a cheesy grin plastered on her face. Piper was wiping her hands with a kitchen cloth when she opened the door. At the site of the dark-haired woman on her doorstep, a similar smile spread across her face. "Hey you."

"Hey you, yourself. These are for you." Alex held the flowers out. Piper took them, buried her nose into the blossoms and breathed in deeply.

"They are gorgeous Alex." She stood on her tip toes and gave Alex a chaste kiss. "Let me put them in water. Don't act like a vampire and wait for me to ask you in the house."

Alex gave a deep, throaty chuckled. "Very funny Pipes. I'm so drained that I'm not thinking clearly." She shut the door behind herself and flopped on the couch.

"You are missing your side kick tonight."

"I'm not missing her a bit. Nicky… is on a date. I think."

Piper stopped with the flowers in mid-air above the vase. "Nicky what?"

"I think she was smitten with one of the customers today. She used the guise that she offended the woman and wanted to apologize, but I think there's more to it. Regardless, we are on our own tonight."

Piper dropped the flowers into the vase and arranged them a bit. She then crawled over the back of the couch, landing next to Alex. "And I know just how to spend this time," she purred into Alex's ear.

* * *

Piper awoke to her phone vibrating on the bedside table. She looked over to see Alex lying next to her, naked, her body all tangled up in the sheets. She glanced at the screen and saw that the call was from Nicky. She responded with a text that she'd call right back.

Without waking Alex, Piper gently crawled from the bed and made her way to the kitchen before calling their third partner back. "Hey Nic. How did your date go?" Piper teased.

"Fucking Vause! That's not how it was. Well maybe. Wait. No. Ugh. Anyway, we need to talk."

"Isn't that why we are on the phone?" Piper knew Nicky was flustered and was taking advantage of the situation. She giggled a little too loudly.

"Damn you Chapman. Look I made an executive decision. Can you get out today without Vause? Meet me at the hotel?"

Piper peeked into the bedroom. Alex had rolled over. "Well there is a 5'10", dark haired woman currently naked in my bed. Why would I want to leave that?"

"Arrrruuugh. Look I had dinner with a customer last night, Lorna. I want you to meet her. But I'm afraid Alex will be pissed at me."

"Ahhhh, your date. Why would she be angry?"

"Because I hired her. She already has a room at the hotel and we are going shopping with Tricia and Taystee later this morning."

* * *

"She WHAT?" Alex banged down her coffee cup, some of the black liquid sloshing over the edge.

Piper placed a hand on Alex's shoulder attempting to calm her. "She's a member of the board as much as we are. We are in this together. Remember, it takes a village."

"No Piper. Nicky doesn't get to get the hots for someone then bring her in without consulting us."

"Wait just a damned minute Al. Do you know how hard it is for some homeless to accept help? You know as well as I do that Taystee and Trish need some help with the bus duties right now. Let's try this woman out and see how she does. Trust your friend Alex."

Alex muttered something and then poured her coffee out and rinsed her cup to put in the sink. "I'm headed to the shower. Alone."

Piper raised her eyebrows. This was the first temper tantrum she had ever seen Alex throw, and it certainly didn't suit her. She hoped that Lorna worked out, for Nicky's sake. She picked up her phone and thumbed out a text to Nicky.

_[I told her. You owe me. We will be there early afternoon and I'll bring lunch. ~P]_

* * *

Alex was not very talkative during their drive to the hotel. In fact, she hadn't said much at all since she blew up at Piper. She parked next to Nicky's car and jammed her car into gear. As she sat pouting, Piper leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Come on Al. Be nice, okay?" Alex frowned as she exited the car. Nobody answered the rooms they knew belonged to Taystee and Tricia. As they approached the storage room, laughter echoed down the halls. Piper and Alex were surprised to see the four women sitting around a card table with piles of poker chips at each place and cards being dealt out. A poker game was obviously being interrupted.

Piper smiled warmly at Lorna and approached Nicky for a hug. Nicky stood and introduced Piper and Alex to Lorna who shyly said hello. Alex was obviously in a gruff mood and stated, "Why are you sitting around when there is work to be done for next week?"

Taystee rolled her eyes. "Look around you, boss lady. We are done with our work. Lorna here came up with an assembly line method that cut our time way down. So back off. And get that nasty look off your face before it freezes that way. All in." She pushed all her chips into the middle of the table as the four went back to their game. Piper tried to stifle a laugh as she pulled up two more chairs for her and Alex to watch the end of the game.

When Lorna lost all her chips, Piper stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lorna, would you mind helping me with the sandwiches?" As the two headed out of the hotel, Piper stopped her. "Don't mind Alex, Lorna. She'll come around. Welcome to the Cinderella Foundation. We are happy to have you."

"Thank you, Ms. Piper. Nicky said it might be rocky, but that she'd smooth things over." She grabbed a box of sandwiches. "Gee, all y'all seem to do is eat."

Piper threw her head back and laughed. "It may seem like it to someone who has wondered where her next meal was coming from. We just want to make sure you guys want for nothing, so we can help rebuild your lives. We'll talk later. I should tell you about my time on the street."

"You were homeless?" Lorna gasped.

"Kind of," Piper responded. "It's a long story. Come on."

* * *

When they returned with the food, another card table had been set up to make room for everyone. Tricia had gotten sodas from her fridge, and soon the food was well on its way to being history. Talk around the table centered around everyone giving Lorna a little background and getting to know Lorna as well.

As everyone slowly got stuffed, they sat around nibbling on cookies. Lorna held one in both hands, taking small bites. "I haven't been hungry in an entire twenty-four hours. I can't remember when that last happened. You don't know how that feels," she said to nobody in particular. "Even in prison, we went hungry." Alex sat up sharply then winced as both Nicky and Piper kicked her in a shin. Hard. Piper dug her heel into Alex's foot and bore down, warning her with a look to not say anything.

Lorna looked to Nicky. "Thank you so much for giving me a chance Nicky. That's one of the reasons I'm on the street. Nobody will hire an ex-convict no matter her crime. Now maybe I can get in good with my parole officer and quit hiding."

Piper piped up. "We can help with that. I told you Lorna; this is what we are all about. Second chances."


	14. She's Not Who She Says She Is

Later that evening, only Tricia, Taystee, and Lorna remained. The dinner mess had been cleaned up and the three were kicked back playing a game of cards. Tricia kept glancing over at Taystee and back at Lorna. Finally, Taystee tossed her cards face down and practically shouted at Tricia. "Do you have something you want to talk about girl? Spit it out."

Tricia's face grew red as she attempted to sputter out an answer. "Ummm no offense Lorna, but prison? You don't strike me as the type."

Lorna primly placed down her cards and looked at Tricia pointedly. "And exactly what does an ex-convict look like Tricia? Perhaps I'd be more recognizable if I had a tattoo running down my neck." Tricia's hand unconsciously went up to the artwork adorning her throat.

"Damn, she got you gal. Besides who are you to speak. You were the shelter's go-to person for illegal substances and contraband. You are just lucky to have never been caught."

Tricia hung her head. "I suppose you are right Taystee. But for reals, if you ever want to share your story, I would love to hear it. I like to think things like that keep my feet grounded. In the short amount of time I've been working for  _Cinderella_ , I have definitely realized that this is a good gig, and I don't want to mess it up."

Taystee looked at both her new friends. She repeated the mantra that Piper drilled into them. "No drugs, no alcohol. Follow the rules. We'll be good."

* * *

Alex looked over at the passenger seat of her car to Piper who was scrunched against the door. She reached over to rub Piper's arm, and Piper quickly jerked away and turned to glare at Alex. "What?" Alex's voice was filled with near insolence as if she didn't know why Piper was upset with her.

"Seriously Al? Don't act like you don't know what's up. You  _know_  one of the missions of the  _Cinderella Foundation_  is to provide women with second chances and a stable new beginning in society. Your prejudice against Lorna is appalling."

"What?!" Alex sputtered. "The woman is pretty much unknown to us, and she's an admitted ex-convict. I say some prejudice is to be allowed."

Piper sat up in the passenger seat and turned to face Alex. As Alex turned to look at her girlfriend, she was surprised with a sharp slap on the cheek. "Fucking ouch Piper. What was that for?"

"You did not know who the hell I was when we met, yet you did everything in your power to find me Alex. To protect me. Why?"

Alex rubbed the sting on her cheek and mumbled, "I'm beginning to wonder."

"Did you ever seem to think that your best friend might be attracted to Lorna in the same way? We can't control the people we fall in love with or are even attracted to. You need to chill out. If not for Lorna, do it for Nicky. I promise that the way you are acting now is a sure-fire way to drive a wedge between you and your best friend."

Alex pulled into the surface parking lot to her building and went around to open Piper's door. She was surprised when Piper didn't walk to the door with her. When she looked at Piper with a raised eyebrow, the blonde held up her phone. "I've ordered an Uber. I think it's best I go home tonight." Alex's heart sank as she watched Piper get into the hired car and drive off without another word.

* * *

The next morning, Piper would not answer Alex's texts or calls. Her frustration was sky high. So, she did the only other thing she knew to do and rang Nicky. "Hey Nicky, what's up?"

"Ummm about to eat breakfast," Nicky cautiously answered.

"Mind if I come over?"

"Ummm come on, I guess." No sooner did Nicky disconnect the phone did she hear a knock at her door. She opened it to find her best friend standing there with steaming hot coffee, a carafe of orange juice, fruit, and pastries. "What…?"

"Hush." Alex unloaded the bounty and they women dug in with fervor.

Crumbs were everywhere as the women battled over the last of the breakfast yummies. "So, Stretch, to what do I owe the honor?"

As hard as it was for Alex to be humble, she placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Nicky, I'm an ass."

The crazy haired woman snorted. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Seriously bud, I'm trying to make an effort here. I owe you an apology about my reaction towards Lorna. I should never have second guessed your decision; I was just caught off-guard I suppose. You used to never take proactive steps in your life. It's like I have a new best friend."

"Can I ask you something Vause? Do you really think I didn't know Lorna's background before I hired her? As soon as she agreed to go to lunch with me, I had Carlo run a full background check on her. He even made a phone call to her parole officer. I wanted her to trust me and sharing that upfront didn't quite seem the way to do it. But I'm not going to shell out hundreds of dollars of the foundations money on a piece of snatch. Yeah, I like her, but she's not going to be my kept woman. She's got great organizational skills. Plus, she has her driver's license. If things go well, I want to get her enrolled to take classes for her commercial license, and we can expand when we are set up with our second bus."

Alex's jaw had dropped open with Nicky's second sentence. This was the longest she had ever heard Nicky speak in one fell swoop. When she realized Nicky had stopped talking and was staring at her, she threw back her head and began laughing.

"I love you Nichols. I knew I could always count on you to do the right thing."

Nicky rolled her eyes as she punched Alex in the shoulder.

* * *

After making peace with Nicky, Alex knew that Piper had to be next. Alex made her way up to Piper's apartment and gently knocked on the door. She hadn't texted to let Piper know she was coming, so she held her breath that Piper would answer. After a few moments, Alex heard the lock tumblers sliding out of place and the door clicked open. Piper stood there in a battered Police rock concert t-shirt, surely stolen from Alex's collection, and tattered holey jeans. While the look on her face was expressionless, she stood aside to let Alex in which was more than Alex expected.

Piper shut and locked the door behind Alex and returned to the bedroom where she had apparently been working when Alex had rapped on her door. Two suitcases were opened on her bed in various stages of packing.

Concerned, Alex sat on bed next to one bag. "Errr going someplace Pipes?"

Piper's voice was flat, emotionless. "I decided to take a position with the state. It's not exactly a job per say. They want me to visit some other major cities and talk to them about our program as well as others in development. In return, I can do fund-raising for the  _Cinderella Foundation._  I thought it would be a good way to get our name out there and to bring in some more funds."

A pang went through Alex's chest as she panicked at the thought of being without Piper. Of course, her first reaction was to get defensive. "And you didn't think to bring this up to Nicky nor I? What if we can't handle things in your absence?"

Piper scoffed as she turned to Alex. "Like you care Alex. For the last twenty-four hours, I've done nothing but question your commitment to our beliefs and values. Besides, I did talk to Nicky and Marka. They agreed it was good PR for  _Cinderella_."

Alex choked down her protests as she realized she was about to make the same mistake as she had the day before. "Well I talked to Nicky this morning as well. I apologized to her about the Lorna situation and we worked things out. I thought you'd be proud of me."

"Thanks Al." Piper's voice was drab and lifeless. Alex's heart was breaking.

Alex stood from the bed and placed her hands on Piper's shoulders. "Piper I am so truly sorry for the way I acted. I had my head up my ass. Please forgive me." She ran a finger across Piper's cheek.

Piper looked up, staring into Alex's emerald eyes. She placed a hand on top of each of Alex's. "It's for the best right now Alex. I think I just need a break. I'll be in touch when I'm ready." She stretched up on her tip-toes and gave Alex a gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth. "I won't be gone for more than a week." She led a shocked Alex back to the door and showed her out.

As Alex rode the elevator the ground floor, she buried her head in the crook of her elbow. A single tear leaked out of the corner of an eye.

* * *

Through the next week, Alex and Nicky continued to be very hands on with the operations of the bus. In addition to Lorna, they had brought one more person on in hopes to have another full team completely trained by the time the second bus was in operation. Because of the extra hands, the bus extended its daily hours and served at least two more groups of people which made the shower bus even much more popular. Everything seemed to be going quite smoothly.

Late one afternoon, a scraggily young man came staggering up to the bus. Taystee was on door duty and had become quite adept at controlling people trying to jump the line or be belligerent about getting a space when all the slots are taken. This man grasped a wadded-up flyer in one hand and was waving it about. Eventually Taystee was able to get him to calm and sit down to talk to her about what he was upset about.

He unfurled the paper which was an advertisement and schedule for the _Cinderella Foundations'_ bus. Pictures of the three founders, Piper, Nicky, and Alex were in one corner along with a photo of the bus with the listed services, times, and procedures for claiming an appointment. The man started jabbing at the paper with his finger, almost stabbing a hole through it.

"Her! I know her." His finger kept landing on Piper's face. Then he tore the paper to where he only had Piper's picture in his hands. "I know this woman. Who is she?"

Taystee explained about the foundation's founders and that Piper was one of the reasons the shower bus existed. This seemed to upset the man even more. "NO!" He became increasingly belligerent despite Taystee's attempts to keep him calm. "She's not who she says she is. She lies. She's a traitor to our kind, to our way of life."

Taystee shook her head, knowing that many unbalanced people were unable to get the mental assistance they needed from the city. She tried to appease the man some more and provided him with a meal voucher from a nearby café they worked with to ease some of the load from the homeless shelter. What she didn't notice was another man and a woman standing on the corner watching the interaction at the bus doors.

* * *

Alex had done her best to keep involved while Piper had been gone although the blonde was always on her mind. Piper had texted her a few times and promised to be back Saturday. They made a date to talk about the situation which comforted Alex to no end.

The bus team was having their weekly debrief after everything was fully stocked for the upcoming week. Everyone was joking and laughing, sharing their peculiar stories from the week. Alex abruptly sat up, her eyes bright. "Guess what happens Sunday gals?" Everyone leaned forward at the table in anticipation.

"Don't keep us hanging on Vause." Lorna's squeaky voice was accompanied with a soft arm punch.

"The second bus will be here! We are about to double our operations." Everyone whooped in excitement as they tried to talk over each other.

Nicky looked at Alex with a grin on her face as she reached into her pocket. "I am not sure you ladies know how much we appreciate the tireless work you have been putting in. Alex and I thought you should be able to reward yourselves for helping us to reach this milestone. Bonuses all around." Nicky passed out envelopes containing $100 to each worker. "It may not be a lot but we do appreciate you. Spend it, save it, whatever you choose. If any of you want to open bank accounts or start to send money to someone, let us know and we will be happy to assist."

The women's eyes were wide in amazement. Taystee wrapped a big arm around Lorna who was crying. "Hey girl, why are you smearing your make-up?"

"I… I'm just happy." Lorna sniffled.

* * *

After leaving the hotel, Nicky and Alex headed to the bar for their own celebration. "That was a kind thing you did Nicky."

Nicky blushed. "Yeah well, I heard Lorna talk about some make-up she was saving up for and thought she might enjoy shopping. Don't worry – it was my own money. Hey Alex, are we okay?"

Alex looked at her friend with a confused look on her face. "Yeah, why?"

"Cuz I really want to ask her out. Lorna that is. I like her Al. But I want you to not be all weird about it."

Chuckling, Alex responded, "You have my blessings my friend. I will never stand in your way again."

* * *

Alex was awakened from a deep sleep by the constant ringing of her phone. Whoever was calling would wait until right before voicemail picked up then would call back. If anything, they were persistent. Shaking her head to clear the sleep, she grabbed the phone and answered it. "What!"

Taystee's voice was shaky. "Ummm boss lady, I think you need to get out to the bus yard. Like now."

"What's going on? Is someone hurt?"

"No thank goodness. Just get out here please."

Alex threw on some clothes as she called Nicky and arranged to pick her up on the way.

She hauled ass to the bus yard and pulled up to see several police cars as well as officers and detectives milling around. Their employees were huddled off to one side, comforting each other.

As she and Nicky got closer, they saw the front door of the bus standing open. There were obvious pry marks on the door. They identified themselves to the officer guarding the scene. The detective said, "You can look inside, just don't touch anything."

It just took Alex poking her head inside the door to see that everything was smashed, the cushions sliced open. The inside of the bus had been completely obliterated. Nicky gently pulled her out of the bus.

The yard lights had been turned on and it was then they could see the graffiti on the bus as she walked up. Huge black letters.

**Liar!**

**Traitor!**

**Thief!**

**Fake!**


	15. Jaq and Gus

After looking at the bus which was practically in ruins, Alex and Nicky joined the other women who were huddled outside the crime tape perimeter. The silence was evidence of the shock everyone was feeling. Alex briefly disappeared for a bit and returned with boxes of Dunkin Donuts coffee, enough for her crew as well as the evidence tech, officers, and the pair of detectives working the scene. Each woman was questioned separately about what she might know about the incident or anything she may have heard.

Taystee relayed the story about the man who had approached the bus earlier that day, pointing out Piper's picture in the flyer and screaming out many of the same things that had been painted on the bus. She was able to give an apt description which gave the police a viable suspect.

As the hours grew long and sunlight was stretching into daylight, the techs finally finished processing the bus. The lot was empty of all but the  _Cinderella_  crew, Alex, and Nicky. They filed into the interior of the bus and began looking at the new mess caused by the black finger print powder which had seemingly been dusted on every surface.

"Daymn!" Taystee explained. "We had something great going on here, and now it's lost. Ruined." Lorna was quiet yet had tears rolling down her face. Tricia had a sullen look on her face and remained leaned up against the door jamb, refusing to come too far into the bus. Everything was quiet for a while the women contemplated what this meant for the foundation.

"No. NO!" Alex's loud voice startled everyone. "We will not let this beat us. Ladies, we've worked hard before. Now we just must work harder. The new bus is slated for delivery mid-morning tomorrow. I think if we all chip in, we can have it stocked and ready to go before Monday."

"We just delay expanding until we make repairs on this bus." Nicky chimed in hoping to bolster everyone's spirits. "We have insurance which will cover that. As soon as the repairs are made, Jaq will be back in service and we'll have two busses."

Lorna had a puzzled look on her face. "Jaq?" She questioned.

Nicky motioned to the bus. "Yeah, Jaq. The bus coming tomorrow is Gus." Now everyone was confused. "Oh come on guys. Jaq – Jacques, and Gus – Octavius. Cinderella's sidekicks. Gus has a penchant for cheese. They helped her dress for the ball and served as two of the four horses transformed to take Cinderella to the ball. Gee I think _maybe_ it's time for movie night!"

As everyone began laughing, Nicky knew that her comic relief had done what she wanted which was to break the tension on the room. "Look Alex is right. There's no use in crying over spilled milk, so just take a quick cat nap with what is left of the morning dawn and we can get started fresh when the Gus gets here." Everyone nodded and trudged off to their respective rooms.

* * *

As Alex drove Nicky back home for a quick nap and a change of clothes, she questioned her best friend. "Do you think I need to call Piper? Doesn't she need to know about this?"

"Has she called you?"

"No, we've texted about meeting Monday for dinner when she gets back into town. That's it."

"Then no, don't call her. She will only worry herself and it will ruin the rest of her trip. Nothing is to be harmed in letting the news wait a few days." Nicky caught the concerned look on her friend's face. "Look, I'll take the blame for the decision if she gets upset. But this will give us time to take care of things without her. I think she will appreciate you stepping up."

Alex sighed then nodded her head in agreement. As nervous as she was for Piper to find out, she wasn't ready to face Piper since she didn't know where they stood in their relationship.

* * *

Piper propped herself up with the big pillows in the large hotel bedroom. She unlocked her phone and opened her Photos app. Thumbing through the pictures made her heart swell and ache at the same time. When she came to her favorite picture of herself and Alex. It was one taken at the gala celebrating the introduction and naming of the  _Cinderella Foundation_. Her own cauliflower blue loose dress juxtaposed against Alex's tight black dress, Nicky had caught them in a candid photo looking at each other like nobody else in the world existed.

Piper traced Alex's face with her fingertip. She then brought her phone to her chest and held it against her heart. While Alex did frustrate her with her attitude last week regarding Lorna, Piper was trying sort through those feelings because the other sentiments were rising to the surface as well. It pained her to have gone the entire week without talking to Alex. But it was time she needed to figure out her feelings. She also had to come up with some ideas on how to get Alex to understand the mission of the foundation around giving people second chances.

Even though she and Alex had arranged to meet for dinner when she got back to Chicago on Monday, Piper was aching to talk to her girlfriend. It had been a while since she had spent a Saturday night alone. She woke up in the wee hours of the night with a strange urge to call Alex. Identifying that weird feeling, the chills on her arms, was impossible. Piper eventually chalked it up to missing Alex. Holding back on making that late-night phone call was difficult. She meditated a bit to calm her nerves and was able to convince herself to go back to sleep.

* * *

Back in Chicago the next morning, Alex received a phone call from the detective assigned to the case. Fingerprints had been taken from her and Nicky along with all the employees for exclusionary purposes. Three additional sets had been found. Two had already been matched with persons in the system. The detective had put together some photo arrays and wanted to come back by the bus lot and talk to the women to see if they could identify anyone.

Arrangements were made then she and Nicky headed to the bus lot. Alex informed the women about the detective's plans to come by to possibly identify the perps. Thanks to the donuts and pastries Nicky brought, the workers were well carb loaded to provide energy for the hard work that lay before them when the new bus arrived.

The new girl grabbed the last donut with sprinkles. Tricia slapped at her hand trying to grab the donut. "Damn pussy, I wanted that."

The new girl glared at her and retorted, "My name is Poussey. Accent à droite, bitch. It's a town in North-eastern France. So, go easy on the bitch smacking." She took a huge bite of the colorful donut. Motioning towards Alex and Nicky, she spoke around her donut. "Thanks for trusting me and giving me this job. It sucks that this," she motioned towards the damaged bus with her free hand, "happened on my first week. But I think we can all get past it. Right?"

Everyone nodded and chimed in. "Right!"

The drone of a diesel engine caused everyone's head to turn towards the gate. A shiny new bus pulled into the lot and next to where the women stood finishing the sweets. The squeaking of the airbrakes was muffled only by Lorna's squeals. "Oh goodness. Nicky, it looks so good." She hooked her arm through Nicky's arm as Nicky stood there with a terrified look on her face. Alex watched the interaction and chuckled to herself as Nicky gently patted Lorna's arm.

Alex clapped her hands, dusting off crumbs. "Let's get to it ladies. Load Gus up so we can be back in service tomorrow. Gus… what a name. Nicky, I suppose you want the names painted on the big gals, too."

"Yup Vause, you know it."

* * *

As the women finished up readying the bus, the detectives came by and pulled each one aside to show them the two photo spreads for the people whose prints matched in the system. The hope was that the prints were not those of customers who had showered in the bus recently.

When it was Taystee's turn with the detectives, her hopes fell when nobody in the first spread looked familiar. But things changed when the second set of pictures were laid out. She immediately pounced on one pictures, plucking it from the batch. "Him. This is him. This is the guy who was ranting about Piper's picture Friday."

The detectives looked at each other and nodded. "Are you sure Miss Jefferson?"

"Right as rain sir. He got up in my face, and it was all I could do to not cut a bitch."

Alex chuckled under her breath at Taystee's choice of words. "Thanks Taystee. Will you send Lorna in?"

The short, dark-haired woman with bright lips came bouncing into the room, chomping on a piece of gum. "What can I do you for gents?" She acted like she was picking a piece of lint off one of the detective's cheap suit jacket.

"Do you recognize any of these men Lorna?" The detective spread out the first set of pictures on the table.

Lorna studied them seriously before putting a finger squarely on the nose of one of the men. "Him. That's Charlie. I don't know his last name, but I used to see him around the shelter."

Seemingly satisfied, they allowed her to look at the second spread. She immediately picked out the same picture as Taystee. "Pornstache." Lorna giggled as she turned red when she said his name. "I don't know his real name. That's just what we call him on the streets. He and Charlie hang out together. Along with…" Lorna paused, thinking, before snapping her fingers. "Doggett. Pornstache seemed to be the leader and Doggett just followed Charlie around like a puppy. I think she has eyes for him. But yeah. I know them."

Alex placed her hand on Lorna's shoulder. "Thanks. You've been a great help." As Lorna left, she turned to the police. "That's everyone. So – does this help?"

One detective picked up the picture that both women identified. "George Mendez or "Pornstache" as Ms. Morelli stated so succinctly. He's one of the fingerprints that popped in our system." He picked up the other picture. "Charlie Coates. The other set of prints. These are definitely the two we were looking for, and Lorna provided the connection between the two – known associates."

He gathered the pictures and stacked them together, slipping the two identified men into a separate folder. "We know what shelter they hang at and will send some officers after them."

Alex stood and shook both of their hands and walked them to their car. "Thanks guys for such fast work. Let me know what I need to do."

* * *

The bus was stocked and ready to go surprisingly fast. Lorna had completely revamped the stocking method which was certainly okay with both Alex and Nicky. They were looking forward to being able to take the rest of the day off. Nicky swung by Lorna's room then joined Alex in the car grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Someone's looking chipper." Alex laughed and looked over at her friend. "That was a little fast for a quickie, wasn't it?"

"Bitch. I finally got the nerve to ask Lorna out on a real date. We are going to dinner tonight." Nicky was literally wiggling in her seat.

"You dirty dog, you." Alex was interrupted by her ringing cell phone. She used the Bluetooth on her car to pick up the call. "Vause."

"Ms. Vause, this is Detective Warren. Do you have time to come down to the station?"

Alex glanced over at Nicky who shrugged. "Ummm sure. Let me drop my business partner off at her apartment then I'll be right over." With that, she disconnected the phone.

"What's that all about?"

Alex shrugged. "Dunno." Alex pulled up in front of Nicky's complex. "Am I doing the right thing by not calling Piper? I still think she should know."

"Give it a break Vause. She'll be home tomorrow. Maybe by then some of this can be sorted out."

* * *

Alex walked into the station and asked for Detective Warren. As she waited for him, she wandered around, flipping through the FBI most wanted posters on the wall. "Alex." She turned around at the sound of her name. "Thanks for coming down. Good news." He guided her through the doors and back to his cube area. "We actually picked up all three people. They were indeed together. And even better than that, we found the spray paint, crowbar and razors responsible for the damage to the bus. It's a slam dunk."

"So you got them. They are here?"

"The men are down in holding. We are waiting for them to be cleaned up and be moved into general population. The woman is in the process of being transferred to a female facility."

"Wait… Keep them here. Can I meet them?"

"That's a little out of the ordinary, but I suppose we can arrange it."

* * *

Alex nervously knocked on the door, shifting back and forth on her feet with her hands tucked behind her back. As the door opened, she put on her best smile and brought her hands forward, offering the bouquet of flowers to the blonde who stood there looking wistfully at her.

Piper took the flowers, bringing them to her nose. She stepped back inviting Alex into her home and laid the flowers on her kitchen table. "I'll take care of them later. First…" She walked towards Alex and wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling her close. She pressed a strong kiss against Alex's lips. "I missed you Alex." Her blue eyes showed the depth of her sincerity.

Alex let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding as she moved her hands up to cup Piper's face. "I missed you, too, Pipes." She moved as close as she could get, tilted her head and gently went in for another kiss. Swiping her tongue softly across Piper's lips was enough for Piper to allow her in for a deeper kiss. Alex broke the contact and leaned back slightly, a little more sure of where she stood with Piper. "God, I really missed you. I know we have some things to talk about, but…" She gave a crooked smile. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm famished." Piper quickly put her flowers in a vase with water so they would keep and readied to leave.

As they walked to the restaurant, the conversation was light. Alex was dreading the talk that she  _knew_  should be happening – avoiding it at all cost. She knew the longer that she waited, the harder it would be. "How did things go with the Cinderella bus while I was gone?"

Alex winced. She wrapped her arm around Piper's shoulders, pulling her in close. "Pipes, we need to talk."


	16. Second Chances

_Flashback Sunday evening – police station_

Mendez, or the man Lorna called Pornstache, remained connected to the table by a short chain attached to one wrist. Alex studied him through the one-way glass for quite some time. He seemed to be muttering to himself as he periodically yanked his arm against the cuff as if checking to see if he was still restrained.

Alex took a deep breath, then nodded at the officer to let her into the room. He followed her and stood right next to Mendez as Alex took a place across the table. "Hi George. My name is Alex."

Mendez just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I know who you are bitch. You are with  _her_." Alex's eyebrows raised questioningly. "The liar. The fake… I don't want to talk to you. Get out." He tried crossing his arms, but the chains restrained him a bit too much.

'I don't understand George. That's what you yelled at Taystee and what was painted on the bus. What do you mean?"

"That woman, the blonde… she's a fake. I knew her from the shelter. She stayed there for a few weeks acting like she was homeless. Yeah – she looked the part and acted the part," Mendez sneered. "But we all know now she isn't homeless. She was never homeless." He leaned forward as far as his chains would let him. The office put a warning hand on his shoulder before he got too close to Alex. "My buddy's girlfriend was turned away from that shelter during the biggest blizzard of Chicago's history. Your friend who wasn't even homeless to begin with was sleeping on a nice warm cot while my friend was out in an encampment warming her hands over a burning trash barrel. So yeah – she's why we painted on the bus and messed it up. She stole from the homeless people. Now she's running this bus service along with the likes of you and trying to make things better for the people she wronged."

Alex was shocked at the diatribe spouted off by Mendez. But as he spoke, his reasoning became clear – wrong but clear nonetheless. She remembered how she was once upset at Piper for the same reasons. She now was in a dilemma at what to do. Mendez kept muttering and talking about how that blonde bitch stole from his friends, and he paid her back by ruining her bus. He also added in some other choice actions he planned on taking when he found Piper on the streets. When he started swinging his head back and forth and beating on the table, Alex stood and asked the officer to let her out.

With this new knowledge, Alex spoke with the detectives about options with the perpetrators. There was no option for Coates. His parole officer had gotten wind of his involvement and was revoking his parole. Apparently, the parole office was fed up with the mounting numbers of petty violations and now that Coates was in custody, the advantage would be taken to just send him back to prison.

 

* * *

 

_Monday Evening - Piper_

Piper's fork clattered to the plate. Alex slid her hand over Piper's to calm the shaking. "Why the hell didn't someone call me? Why didn't  **you** call me?" Piper shook off Alex's touch. "I deserved to know Alex. I am a part of this foundation, too."

Alex scooting her chair closer, careful to not make contact with Piper as she made it clear she didn't want Alex's comfort. "Nicky and I, well I decided that it could wait." Alex didn't want to blame the decision on Nicky as that would be taking the easy way out. "You needed the break from the foundation and frankly from me. You couldn't have done anything while you were out of town but worry about it."

Piper buried her head in her hands. "There is so much going on right now Alex. My head is spinning." She sat back and used her napkin to dot the tears from the corner of eye. She picked her fork back up and ended up pushing her food around on her plate. "Okay, give me a minute to prioritize in my mind."

When it became obvious Piper was done with her dinner, Alex lifted a hand up to summon the server to clear their plates and ordered coffee as she waited for Piper to think through things a bit.

"First things first, what did this incident do to bus operations? How long are we going to be out of commission?"

Alex leaned back in her chair and tried to keep from smiling. "I guess I failed to mention somethings. Our second bus, Jaq, was delivered Sunday morning. Apparently, Lorna is the queen of organization. The girls worked their asses off, and we sent the second bus out bright and early this morning. There was no break in service. The insurance company is coming tomorrow. Once they do their thing, we can start repairs on Gus."

Perplexed, Piper asked, "Jaq? Gus?"

Alex grinned. "Yeah, Nicky named the buses after the mice in Cinderella."

Piper struggled to keep from spewing her coffee. "But we seriously delivered services today? Al, that's amazing." She tried to keep the smile from her face as she looked at her girlfriend.

Keeping the momentum going, Alex spoke again. "Nicky hired another worker this week, and I hired one today. So, by the time Gus gets up and running, we will be on our way to having enough workers to staff both buses."

"Do the police have any leads on the vandals?" Piper was becoming more visibly relaxed.

Alex shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "They made progress quickly. Fingerprints identified two people immediately and Lorna filled in the missing piece with a third person. They were all taken into custody Sunday."

"Good," Piper exclaimed almost vehemently. "I hope they throw the book at them. We are pressing charges, right?"

Alex paused. "Well one guy, the main dude, Mendez. He's a little on the mentally ill side. I think he's going into a treatment center." Alex conveniently left out that she had spoken with Mendez and the reasons why he had vandalized the bus. "His main accomplice, Coates, was violated by his parole officer. I don't think there is anything we can do to help either of them."

When Alex stopped, Piper questioned, "You said there were three people. What about the third?"

* * *

_Flashback Sunday evening – police station_

Alex was exhausted, but she wanted to talk to the last person involved, the female. From the observation window, Alex could tell the woman was small. Her long brown hair was unkempt and matted. Something about the woman drew Alex into the room. When Alex pulled up the chair to sit across from Doggett, the woman sat back in her chair.

"What do you want?" Doggett's attitude was mirrored in her voice. As she spoke, Alex could see that she had horrible teeth, brown and rotted.

"Hi Tiffany. I'm Alex. The bus that you and your friends tore up – it belonged to me and my friends. I just wanted to see what you had to say. We are trying to assist people like you, the homeless, yet you helped tear it up, nearly destroyed it."

The homeless girl laughed. "Naw, you aren't helping 'us'." She made quotation marks with her fingers. "That chick that you work with, the blonde. She took from us. She's a thief. She pretended to be homeless. I saw her with my own two eyes." Tiffany pointed two fingers at her own eyes then to Alex's. "She got to sleep inside the shelter, and I had to be outside in the snow, the cold. Do you know what that's like? Never being able to get warm? Or even having enough food? You probably never had to sleep outside a day in your life."

Alex was laden with guilt for the situation in which this girl had been caught up. She had no criminal record and was simply a victim of circumstance. They visited for quite some time. When Alex left the holding room, she again talked to the detective. It was too late to arrange for Doggett to be released as technically only a judge could do that. But the detective agreed that Alex could pick her up first thing in the morning on a modified bail until the legal issues could be worked out.

* * *

_Monday Evening – Piper_

"What the hell Alex?! You hired her? She destroyed our bus. She should be in jail. I can't believe you. At the least, shouldn't this be a decision that Nicky and I be involved with? Alex, what has gotten into you?"

Alex was leery at telling Piper the reason that the bus had been vandalized. She was avoiding that at all costs. Things were already quite messy and there wasn't reason to muck up the waters any more. However, any progress she had seemingly made in getting back into Piper's good graces seem to vanish with this knowledge.

Alex grasped Piper's hands and held them tightly despite Piper's struggles. "Piper! Calm down. Listen to me. Please." She leaned forward and softly kissed Piper on the cheek. Despite Piper still obviously fuming, she calmed down enough for Alex to speak.

"I missed you so much when you took off out of town, even more so because of how you left. I felt so empty that there was so much unsaid. I know you had an issue because I had a closed mind when it came to Nicky's hiring Lorna. You leaving for a week was a wakeup call for me – a huge attitude check. I have no business judging any of these women and their pasts. Only by the grace of God am I not in their situation."

"Tiffany, the new girl, she doesn't have a record, and it's going to stay that way. I'd like to drop the charges."

"But…" Piper started to protest but Alex interrupted.

"Pipes, I know why this crew damaged our bus. While it was wrong, I can see the reasoning from her point of view."

"So why did they do it?"

"That's not important right now. What's important is second chances. Right? Isn't that what you say? Second chances. I don't want to lose you Piper. I was miserable this week without you, and you definitely made me realize that everyone deserves a second chance. I'd like to offer Tiffany that second chance. Yeah, I know she did some major damage, but I think she's willing to make amends."

Piper cocked her head sideways and looked at Alex strangely. "Second chances, huh? So, you did listen to what I said after your temper tantrum with Lorna."

"Yup." Alex chuckled. "You’re a good teacher. I haven't introduced her to the crew yet. She has a room, and I took her shopping this morning. I thought I'd give her a day or so to settle in. By then, the insurance should be settled, and she can get to work cleaning up the mess she helped make."

Piper moved forward and leaned into Alex, laying her head on her shoulder. "Thanks Al."

"For?"

"Being you… and listening. The work this foundation is doing is so important to me. I appreciate you understanding."

* * *

_Monday evening - Nicky_

Nicky brushed her sweaty palms against her jeans and took a deep breath before getting out of her car. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous; it was only a date. Nicky couldn't remember the last time she felt this nervous probably around the time of her last date.

She tapped lightly on the door to Lorna's hotel room. "Who is it?" Lorna's Boston accented voice rang out.

"Your Prince Charming." Nicky answered, laughing.

Lorna opened the door and saw Nicky standing there. "Oh Prince Charming. Come right in." Nicky handed Lorna the small bouquet of mixed flowers she had picked up. "Why thank you. Prince Charming is charming indeed." Lorna shyly gave Nicky a peck on the cheek then arranged the flowers in a pitcher filled with water.

"Anything in particular you'd like to do tonight Lorna?"

"Why Prince Charming, you should be making the plans, right? Come in and save the damsel in distress?" Lorna twittered as she ran her finger down Nicky's chest.

Gulping, Nicky turned and offered her arm to Lorna. "Well my lady, I know just the place then." Lorna hooked her arm through Nicky's and off they went.

* * *

Tiffany looked around her hotel room. She still didn't quite know what had happened. The tall black-haired lady had come back to the jail that morning. She had said something about a job. Tiffany just agreed because it seemed that this chick was going to post her bail. Sure enough, not only did the woman bail her out, she had also taken her shopping for clothes and food. She said to relax and that she'd be back Tuesday morning to talk about things and see if Tiffany wanted a job.

Tiffany was confused since she thought the black-haired woman ran the bus service with the blonde woman who had lied about being homeless. Why was she not only getting her a place to stay but buying her food and clothes? This chick was going to be so easy to scam.

Tiffany had also bought a duffle bag. She was now stuffing her new clothes into the duffle along with the food. She had decided to take off before the woman realized her mistake. But then she decided that she didn't have a place to sleep that night, so why waste a perfectly good hotel room. Tiffany unpacked her bag and made herself at home. Maybe she would listen to the tall one in the morning.

* * *

Piper spent Tuesday at her job with the state filing her reports from her visits from the previous week. While Alex and she had finished dinner, they had gone their separate ways from the restaurant. Piper had a feeling that Alex was still not telling her the full truth, and she had learned to trust her gut feeling. Granted she missed Alex tremendously and her heart ached to part from her after being gone for so long, but Piper's self-defense mechanism had long since kicked in.

The entire crew except for Tiffany, the new-hire, worked Gus on Tuesday. Everyone was getting reasonably adept at each position except driver. Taystee was the only one licensed which didn't matter because they would still have only one bus for at least a month. Lorna was starting her commercial driving course soon.

Nicky and Alex took the opportunity to sit back in front of the day's shelter and get caught up. "So… Prince Charming, where did you take her?" Nicky punched Alex in the arm, knowing that she would be teased relentlessly for giving her best friend details.

"Well I didn't want to overwhelm her. I mean, what do people do on dates these days? Especially… well you know." Nicky hesitated hoping Alex would let her off the hook, but Alex did not speak. "Ugh, don't laugh… I took her to the roof of my mom's building."

Alex tossed her head back, laughing. "You didn't want to overwhelm her so you decided to show off your family's grand wealth."

Nicky held her head in her hands and mumbled through her fingers. "It wasn't like that Vause. It was nice, you know. The sunset and all."

"I suppose you had a catered dinner with candles set atop a white table cloth." Alex couldn't help but to harass her pal.

"No asshole. It was a picnic. Peanut butter sandwiches if you must know."

Alex had just taken a drink of water which was immediately spewed all over the front of her chest. "What the hell Nicky? Way to blow the romance! You seriously tried to woo the woman with peanut butter sandwiches?"

"Well… they’re her favorite. She loved them. In fact, she loved the entire night. I even got a kiss on the cheek when I dropped her off." Nicky blushed at this revelation.

"Whoa ho ho, a kiss on the cheek, eh? You sure put me in my place." As hard as she tried, Alex couldn't stop from laughing.

"Shut the hell up Vause. What happened with Piper? You guys had dinner last night, too, right? Did you tell her?"

Alex quickly sobered up with this question. "Yes, I told her. She was pissed that we didn't call her as soon as we found out. I took the blame and told her it was my decision. If she's going to be mad, just let her stay mad at me."

"Did you two talk it out?"

"I'm not sure Nichols. I didn't tell her  _why_  the bus was vandalized. The tension last night was already thick. Plus, I had to tell her about Tiffany?"

"That's the chick that helped make a mess of Jaq, right?' Alex nodded. "What about her?"

Alex took a deep breath before continuing. "She's at the hotel waiting to meet the crew. I hired her."


	17. Cinda-fucking-rellaaaaa!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit up-front that I was well into writing this fic and posting on FF when Season 5 came out. Needless to say, I stole a scene because I was busting a gut when I saw it on OITNB. Carry on Tastee girl.

Taystee and the new girl, Poussey seemed to have quickly bonded. Immediately after work on Tuesday, they took off to the mall with their bonus money. Taystee also had more money stashed from her previous paychecks, and it was burning a hole in her pocket.

When they arrived, Taystee made a beeline for the Nike store. When her eyes landed on a certain pair of shoes, she immediately knew she had to have them – white mesh with a shiny silver stripe between the mesh and the sole, three quarter tops. "Sold!" She exclaimed.

"Yo bitch, you going to wear those out of the store or just set them on a shelf at the hotel and worship them?" Poussey chuckled as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, laughing at her new friend as she held the shoes in the crook of her arm as she shelled out the cash for her new kicks.

Taystee's eyes sparkled as she took a seat on the bench, pulled on the shoes and laced them up. She looked at her feet then back up at Pouseey with sparkles in her eyes. Kicking her feet out in front of her, she grinned at her feet and sang out at the top of her lungs, "Cinda-fucking-rellaaaaa!" She then leapt up and spun around on the ball of one foot and waltzed out the store.

"Hey – wait up!" Poussey scrambled to bag up Taystee's old shoes, the box, etc. and hustled to catch up to the whistling woman. Once the lithe woman caught up to her counterpart, she panted, "Where to now?"

"Sup to you. I'm done."

"Seriously? All this way for shoes?"

Taystee stopped and modeled her shoe on the concrete bench in front of them. "Are you kidding me? The shoes make the woman. My transformation is now complete."

* * *

Piper's phone beep indicating an incoming text message. She thumbed open her phone to see that Alex was waiting for her downstairs in front of the complex. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out, pulled her hair back into a pony tail, and headed downstairs. She knew that after this introduction business was done, she and Alex needed to have a serious talk. Foundation business seemed to be coming in between them. Piper certainly didn't want that and hoped Alex felt the same way. They both would have to open their minds and just be honest about what was going on – with the project and with them as a couple. A couple? Is that what they were? Had they ever really talked about it even? Piper knew she was exclusive, but she knew they hadn't talked about it and she didn't if Alex felt the same way. Ugh, this was all way too much for her to handle.

Opening the door, Piper forced a smile onto her face and slid into the passenger side. She leaned over and gave Alex a small kiss on the cheek and gave her what she hoped would pass as a warm smile. As she turned to put on her seat belt, she expected Alex to put the car in gear and drive away. She could feel Alex's eyes on her as she snapped the buckle into place. When the car didn't move, Piper looked back over at the dark-haired woman in the driver's seat and found Alex to be staring at her with a fond look on her face.

"Hey Pipes." Alex reached over and ran her fingers across Piper's face. Piper wasn't quite sure what to say as she didn't exactly know where the two stood with each other, especially after the way she had acted the previous night after finding out Alex had hired one of the culprits in the bus vandal situation.

Alex cupped Piper's jaw with her hand and pulled her body slightly towards the center console and leaned over herself. Piper felt her eyes drifting shut as Alex's mouth drew closer, and her soft lips lightly caressed Piper's. Alex broke the brief contact as she leaned her forehead against Piper's. "I've missed you."

Alex ran her hand down Piper's arm to entwine her fingers with Piper's. Without waiting for a response, Alex straightened back up in the driver's seat, put the car in gear, and drove away. Piper found herself caught off guard at the gentleness of Alex's display.

* * *

Everyone had gathered in the supply room at the hotel. It seemed to be the default gathering place since there were two tables for folding towels and assembling packets, chairs and a comfy couch. Piper was sharing about her trip and what she had been able to share with other cities looking to create similar projects. She was pleased that the women were so excited in sharing the good will.

Alex briefly told them about the new woman she had hired. She didn't give them much information, just asked them to keep an open mind. "Our philosophy is all about second chances and new beginnings, right?"

"So where is this new girl?" Lorna's high-pitched voice squeaked as Nicky pulled Lorna into her side for a quick tickle. Tricia just rolled her eyes at the PDA.

Alex gave Tiffany about fifteen more minutes then excused herself to go bring the new employee to meet the rest of the gang. She knocked on the door and waited. Hearing nothing, Alex heart sank hoping that Tiffany had not taken off on her, leaving her having to eat crow with Piper and Nicky. Damn she didn't want to be wrong about Tiffany. She knocked again. "Come on Tiffany. Open the door. This room is in my name; I can always go to the front desk and get a pass key. Open up." Alex began steadily knocking in hopes that the irritation would encourage Tiffany to open up.

Sure enough, the annoying banging lead to an eventual opening of the door. Alex took a few steps back because of the smoke that billowed out of the room. Then she stepped in and took a look around at the mess that had been created in the day and a half of checking Tiffany into the hotel. If it was even possible, Tiffany was looking even rougher than she was when Alex bailed her out of jail. She fell back on the bed obviously drunk to the point of stumbling.

"What the fuck is this Tiffany? You know we had a meeting set up tonight for you to meet everyone."

Tiffany just scoffed. "Fuck you Alex."

Alex was shocked. She stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. Tiffany was quite shorter than herself and smaller in stature. Alex reached down and grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her off the bed. "Fuck yourself Tiffany. I'm trying to give you a chance, a chance to prove that you aren't a thug that goes around damaging other's property." She stood Tiffany up and walked her to the bathroom.

"Yeah, well maybe your  **friend**  should prove herself to not be a thief. That little bitch."

Alex closed her eyes and tamped down the rage that immediately struck when Tiffany called Piper a bitch. Holding Tiffany up with one hand, Alex reached in and cranked on the cold water of the shower. She gently shoved Tiffany in the stream of water and held the weakly struggling woman there until she had sobered up slightly. "I'm going to step out. You have ten minutes to dry yourself off and put on clean clothes. Then we are going to talk."

When Alex returned to the room, a very pissed off Tiffany was sitting at the small table puffing on a cigarette. Alex strode over, plucked the cigarette out of her mouth and put it out. She then summarily found all the liquor bottles in the room and poured the remaining contents down the sink. "I told you when you accepted this deal that three of the rules were no smoking, no drinking, and no drugs."

Tiffany rolled her eyes. "Two out of three ain't bad."

Alex glared as she took the other chair and sat across from Tiffany.

"Look, I'm not going to have you meet the rest of the gals while you are messed up. So, here's what's going to happen. Today I showed you the supply closet where we assemble the kits. Tomorrow after the operable bus goes out, you will put together no less than 100 kits. Then you will go out to the bus that you fucking made a mess up and start cleaning it up. Wipe down all the surfaces to get rid of fingerprint powder and start sweeping up the cushion stuffing. I'm going to come by around 1 pm with lunch to check to see how you are doing. Do you understand?"

Tiffany just glared and looked down.

"Do you want this job or not Tiffany? I can haul your sorry ass back to jail if you want to play it that way." Alex stood up and towered over Tiffany.

"Fine."

"You have my cell number. Call me if you have any questions. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Alex could hear music from down the hall. She couldn't help but smile when she walked into the supply room and saw that it had been transformed into a party room. She plopped down next to Piper who offered her a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos which seemed to be the snack of the evening. "Ewwwww seriously Pipes? That stuff is nuclear."

Piper giggled and snuggled into Alex. She stretched up and kissed Alex behind the ear and suggestively whispered, "How about I let you lick my fingers later?"

Alex raised an eyebrow and chuckled. Despite the shit with Tiffany, things might actually be coming together.

When the music died down, Taystee asked. "Where's the new girl? Ain't this party for her?"

Alex inwardly groaned. She had hoped that somehow, they had forgotten the reason for the gathering. "She's not feeling that well. We'll try again tomorrow."

Taystee spun around on her heels and plopped down in a chair and again bellowed, "Cinda-fucking-rellaaaaa! Isn't it funny how a simple new pair of shoes transforms your entire being?"

Poussey rolled her eyes and transformed into a socialite New Yorker accent. "Amanda, I say, Amanda! The shoes definitely make the woman. And  _your_  shoes are just faaaaabulous."

With a grin, Taystee mimicked her pal's uppity accent. "Why thank you Mackensie. I do appreciate your kind words. When a lady of distinction such as myself searches all over Fifth Avenue for the perfect pair of shoes, it's nice to know they are appreciated."

"Appreciated they are indeed. What a lovely transformation they have created for your distinct personality." Poussey did a quick fist bump with Taystee then bowed as the other women clapped for their performance.

* * *

Alex pulled up to Piper's building and shifted the car into park. She pulled Piper's hand to her lips and kissed it. "Thank you for riding with me tonight Piper. I've missed you."

Piper glanced down and then looked over at Alex, this time a true smile on her face. "I've missed you too, Al. Why don't you come up?"

Unsure if she heard Piper correctly, Alex blinked then grinned. "Yeah?"

Piper nodded. "Yeah. I've got some Cheeto dust you need to take care of." Piper waggled her eyebrows and fingers suggestively.

Alex made short work of finding a parking place in the garage. Opening Piper's door for her, she slipped her hand into Piper's and began to walk to the elevator which would take them to Piper's floor.

Alex made herself comfortable on the couch. Piper opened two beers and settled herself on the couch, handing one to Alex. "What happened tonight with the new girl?" Piper asked cautiously.

Taking a long drunk of beer, Alex closed her eyes. "Give me one more day Piper. I think she's going to need a little more work." Piper raised both eyebrows. "One more day, please?"

"Okay babe." The two sat in silence simply enjoying the presence of the other. "Did you mean what you said Al? About second chances and stuff?" Piper snuggled further into Alex, underneath her arm.

Alex pulled Piper even closer and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah Pipes. When you were gone, I thought a lot about the things you said."

"I wasn't exactly nice," Piper interrupted.

"You shouldn't have even had to say what you said Piper. I know what this project is about, and I know what it means to you… what it means to me. And you are right – it is about second chances." Alex began stroking Piper's shoulder absently with her arm that was draped over Piper. Piper's free hand had dropped to Alex's thigh and she began mirroring the motions on Alex's thigh.

"I remember the first time I saw you Piper. On the street. Do you recall that?" Piper was silent, so Alex continued. "Nicky and I had gone to a bar and had passed this grimy little woman on the street," Alex chuckled. "There was something about you that caught my attention. Before you, I had never given street people a second thought. Nicky was busy buying me cheap drinks and telling me about this cockamainy con plan so she could keep her inheritance, but I had to do all the work." This got a laugh out of Piper. "Don't laugh Piper. Nicky needs to come clean to you about some stuff, but that's a story for another day. Anyway, I saw a man with a shopping cart stop in front of you."

"Matt." Piper whispered.

"A protective feeling kicked in – I was alarmed watching him talk to you until I saw him simply cover you up and continue to push his cart down the street. I could not shake whatever it was that I was feeling."

"You gave me money that night."

Alex nodded.

"You know, I gave that money to Matt later that night." Piper's voice still was at a whisper.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

"Do you remember the second time we met?" Piper's ministrations on Alex's thighs were becoming more deliberate.

"Mmmhmmm."

"You brought me muffins, coffee, and more money."

Alex was having a hard time concentrating and moved her hand to rub Piper's back. "Which you promptly gave away… again…."

"At least I kept the coffee…"

Piper turned her neck and found Alex's neck with her mouth. She ran her tongue lightly up the vein in Alex's neck, sucking gently on her pulse point causing Alex to slightly gasp. Piper slipped her hand from Alex's thigh up to her stomach, easily slipping under her shirt.

Alex slipped her arm down Piper's side and pulled her over so that she sat on top of Alex's legs, straddling her. Piper moved her mouth to the other side of Alex's neck as Alex's head lolled back to lay against the couch. Alex slid both hands down until they rested on Piper's hips and pulled Piper into her. Piper broke free of Alex's neck with a small whimper.

Alex ran her hands up Piper's side, beneath her shirt, slipping her shirt off in one smooth motion and quickly unclasping Piper's bra which was quickly discarded. Piper looked at her with wanting eyes as she made swift work of removing Alex's shirt and undergarment as well.

Leaning forward, Piper fell against Alex as she found her lips for a gentle, searching kiss. Alex ran her hands softly up Piper's back, flicking her tongue against Piper's lips, asking for permission for more. Rather than give in, Piper leaned back slightly. She then climbed off a surprised Alex's lap. Smiling, she reached out her hand, grasped Alex's and pulled her off the couch.

Leading Alex into her bedroom, she took a seat on the edge of the bed – patting the space next to her for a confused Alex to sit. Piper pulled one leg up and turned to face Alex. "Are we okay Alex? You and me? Us?"

Alex tilted her head sideways and contemplated Piper's question for hidden meaning. Finally, she spoke. "Piper, yeah. We're okay. I promise."

Piper reached for Alex's hands and placed one on each of her breasts and pushed Alex backwards on the bed. She captured Alex's lower lip with her teeth as she whispered into Alex's mouth. "Good, because I  _really_  missed you."


	18. Hamburgers and Blown Chances

_Earlier in the week_

Lorna's arm was hooked in the crook Nicky's as they exited the hotel. On Alex's advice, Nicky had chosen to drive herself so that she wouldn't seem so pretentious with her driver. As Nicky opened the passenger door for her date, Lorna slipped in gracefully, gracefully crossing her ankles as Nicky softly closed the door. Nicky wiped her palms on her jeans again. The sweat seemed to be endlessly flowing from her pores as her nerves worked overtime.

Nicky started the car once she had gotten in and looked over to Lorna before putting the vehicle into gear. "I'm glad you agreed to come out with me. I hope you won't be disappointed." She grinned at Lorna and took off towards their destination.

The two chatted easily as Nicky headed towards the general direction of Wrigley Field. When she reached her destination, Nicky lucked out and found a parking place right in the back of the restaurant. Nicky's grin had not wavered a bit. She looked over and said, "a little birdy told me that one of the foods you missed most when you were  _away_  was a big, juicy hamburger."

Lorna's eyes grew big as her smile grew to match the size of the grin Nicky sported. Nicky rushed around to the passenger side before her eager date could let herself out. Lorna immediately threw her arms around Nicky's neck, squeezing her tightly. "Do you know how  **long**  it has been since I've had a good burger?" It took all of Nicky's willpower to not wince at the shrillness of Lorna's shriek. Her chest swelled with pride realizing she had made a wise decision in her establishment selection.

Nicky slipped her hand into Lorna's, and the pair headed around to the front of  _Bareburger_ , Chicago's location of the New York chain hot spot which was named in 2017's top 12 burger joints in the city. While standard burgers were available, the establishment was famous for the wild selections of meats such as wild boar, bison, and elk – just to name a few. After seeing the massive number of choices, the women decided on a few appetizers to share to give them both time to peruse the menu and to build the perfect burger.

* * *

Nicky placed her car into park outside the hotel and went around to let her lovely passenger out. Nicky took two of the three paper bags, and they headed inside. After Taystee had told her about Lorna's pre-prison passion for a good burger, Nicky promised to bring the gang each a hamburger after the date. Lorna opened the door to her room allowing entry so that they could put the take-out food on the small table.

"I had a really good time tonight Nicky. I know you are my boss and all, but I'd like to do this again."

Suddenly, Nicky felt her palms go sweaty again. She stuck them in her pockets to dry them off. "Uhhhhh yeah, sure Lorna. I enjoyed getting to know more about you. Maybe next time we can go to the movies or something."

Lorna excitedly bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. "'Hey, did you ever see that one movie? The one where there's this cowboy and he's like the king of the castle and then this astronaut shows up and he tries to take over and so the cowboy attempts to murder him. But instead, the astronaut is taken hostage by this evil psychopath and the cowboy has to rescue him and then they end up becoming really good friends."

Nicky looked at Lorna blankly. After a few moments of thought, she asked "Errr do you mean Toy Story?"

"Oh my god, Toy Story! That's it, that's it! I. Love. That. Movie."

Nicky's face was absolutely hurting from grinning all evening and now she just burst out laughing. "Well we'll just have to rent the DVD and watch it, won't we?" Lorna vigorously nodded her head up and down. "It's getting late and we both have to work tomorrow. Give the girls my love with the food." Not quite sure what to do next, Nicky took a step towards Lorna and pulled her into a brief hug. Pushing back slightly, she looked at Lorna who had suddenly become shy, demure. Nicky gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing from the room.

When Nicky reached her car, she sat for a few minutes, breathless. Her head was spinning from the time she'd spent with Lorna – her odd accent and hilarious stories. Nicky couldn't wait to get home and get to sleep. The sooner she did, the sooner she would wake up and see Lorna at work the next morning.

* * *

_Present time_

Piper woke to a tangle of sheets wrapped around her. She stretched her shoulders and back as she extended her hand towards the window. The curtains had been pulled back and the soft amber glow of the sunrise poured through her fingers and onto her upturned face. The sun itself had barely started to rise, and the city had the subdued quiet of dawn. Only road sweepers and workers hurrying to beat the rush hour were out at this hour.

Piper's contentment at the morning beauty stopped short as her mind snapped back to the night before. She looked around her to verify that she was indeed alone. Alex was not next to her in bed. Of course, Alex had very much been there when they exhausted themselves after coming from the girls' hotel. Piper's heart sank. Alex had assured her that things were okay, that they were okay. But waking up alone brought the truth and a new type of loneliness altogether.

A crash and shatter of something in the kitchen jolted Piper into a sitting position. "FUCK!" Hearing the raspy, husky voice of the woman to whom she had yet to profess her love, immediately flooded Piper's soul with relief despite whatever broke in her kitchen. Alex was still right there with her. Crawling out of bed, Piper padded to the en-suite and quickly washed her face, scrubbed her teeth, and ran a brush through her hair. She walked back into the bedroom about the same time Alex entered with a tray. "You were supposed to still be asleep Pipes. Or at least there." She motioned to the bed with her head.

The blonde straightened up the twisted pile of sheets and pulled up the duvet from its pile on the floor. She then crawled back into bed, sitting up against the wall with the sheet pulled up to her thighs. "Better?"

Alex cocked one eyebrow at Piper's snarkiness. "Better. This was supposed to be a surprise breakfast in bed, but I guess the crash sort of ruined that. I owe you a bowl by the way. One sort of shattered on the floor. Don't go in there bare foot yet. I need to clean up my mess." Alex sat next to Piper and balanced the tray between them. "Your refrigerator is much more well stocked than mine. Anyway, this is kind of my way of apologizing for being such an ass lately. Besides you deserve gold star treatment for everything you do. Thanks for being you Pipes. I appreciate you."

As the two nibbled their way through the fruits and pastries Alex had prepared, they talked about what the upcoming days held for each of their schedules. Piper had a meeting with Marta to debrief about her last trip and then planned to spend some time at the Foundation office returning e-mails and phone messages.

"I have some potential in-kind donors I need to get in touch with, leads from Marka's foundation people." Alex took a large bite of bagel and chewed thoughtfully. She then sighed deeply.

"What's up Al?"

"Just this shit with Tiffany is all."

"Yeah, I was going to ask about that last night but didn't want to seem like I was challenging you in front of the girls. What happened with her?"

"Ugh Piper. I may be wrong on this one. Blah, I hate being wrong. I had clearly explained our rules and expectations to her – no alcohol, no tobacco, no drugs. That's the last thing these women need is any type of addiction, at least not while working for the Foundation.”

“When I went to her room to see why she was late, first she wouldn't open the door. So, I threatened to get a key from the manager. When she finally opened the door, so much smoke billowed out, I about choked. She'd been smoking like a chimney. On top of that, she was drunk as a skunk. I was so pissed." Alex hung her head.

Piper rubbed her shoulders. "Some people take a little bit longer to jump start their second chance. Personally, I think we have lucked out with the other ones we have. Give her some time."

"She was such a belligerent jerk though. I wanted to bitch slap her. I mean, I could have let her ass rot in jail, but I'm trying to get her back on her feet. Anyway, I didn't want her to meet the gang all messed up so I told her that she needed to assemble at least 100 bus kits then start cleaning up Jaq."

"Jaq? What the fuck? Who the hell is Jaq?" Piper screwed her face up in confusion.

Rolling her eyes, Alex responded, "Remember I told you? Jaq and Gus are the buses' names. Don't look me that way. The names are all Nicky. Apparently, Jaq and Gus are the mice who help…"

"Cinderella get ready for the ball!" Piper interrupted as she began to laugh. "How on earth did she come up with that? That's brilliant. Nicky never ceases to amaze me."

"Yeah, speaking of Nicky – she took Lorna on a date Monday. She's being pretty tight-lipped about it. I haven't had time to try to get the scoop more or less time to even tease her about it. I think she took her to get hamburgers!"

"A date, eh? Well I'm sure Nicky had a great reason for where they went. She'll tell you in her own time. Don't harass her too much Alex."

"Well my golden beauty, I need to get ready for my day. I have some patrons to woo then need to get to the bus barn by one o'clock to check on my jail bird."

* * *

Alex's frustration built the longer she banged on Tiffany's door. A quick check of the supply room showed that no bus kits had been assembled and Jaq was still a complete mess. Alex was beyond pissed. She finally went to the front door to get a key to Doggett's room. Coughing as she made her way through the smoky haze lingering in the room, Alex approached the sleeping form on the bed. Cheap vodka bottles strewn the floor along with various mixers. Tiffany had apparently gotten completely piss drunk last night after Alex left and was still passed out.

The tall brunette slung the small woman over her shoulder and unceremoniously dumped her in the shower again, cold water on high. It took a little longer this time before Tiffany began to sputter away. "Fuck! What's this? Where am I?" She tried to stand, but the alcohol in her system caused her to stagger and fall back to a sitting position in the tub. Her eyes finally focused on the _raven_ -haired woman standing with her arms crossed. "Vause what the hell? Again? You did this to me again?"

"Yeah, well you are drunk _again_ Doggett. We had a deal. You were supposed to get some things done today. This is a  **job**  damn it. And you are failing. Massively." Alex knew she was shouting, but she was angry. She didn't know whether she was angry at Tiffany or at herself for being made a fool of.

Tiffany glared at Alex. "A job! Did you ever stop to think if I  _really_  wanted a job? Did it ever cross you mind that I just wanted out of jail? I would have agreed to anything to not have to spend another night in jail." Tiffany scoffed. "And look what it got me. A nice hotel room. Food in my belly. New clothes. Cigarettes. And booze. Lots of booze. I never wanted a job Alex. Joke's on you!"

Alex felt as though she had been slapped. She slouched onto one of the two chairs at the small table and buried her head in her hands. She began to slowly control her breathing to lower her anger. She heard the shower shut off, and the bathroom door close. After a bit, Tiffany called out. "Hey, could you throw me some dry clothes?" Alex rummaged around a bit then tossed a dry set of clothes through the small crack in the opened door. Soon Tiffany came out, looking rough, and took a seat in the other chair. She reached over to a pack of cigarettes and shook out a stick, placing between her lips.

Alex scowled at her and snarled, "Don't you dare." Tiffany shrugged her shoulders and put down the lighter she was about to use. The two women sat in silence for a bit. Alex had so much nervous energy as her mind bounced among the possibilities. She got up and began to wander the room.

"What?"

"Hush Doggett, I'm thinking."

Tiffany laughed. "No, you ain't. Oh, you're just pacing around. You kinda like Pac-man chased by ghosts." She made that famous sound of a turn ending as Pac-man is eaten.

Alex immediately stopped walking and stared at Tiffany. "What's your end game here then? What do you really want?"

"Doesn't matter. Everybody here is gonna be way worse than how they were when they started. You aren't doing any of them any favors by giving them a  _job_. They are still the same people just living their lives a little differently. But when it's over, they are going to crash and burn." Tiffany leaned back and propped her feet on the table.

"Well then Doggett, since you don't think we are going to make a difference here and you don't really want a job anyway, then there isn't much of a choice but to send you back to jail." Alex plopped back into her chair and stared at her nemesis. Hard.

Tiffany swallowed, realizing that maybe she had overplayed her hand. She tried to change her tactic. "Jail? You'd really send me back there. I thought you were in the business of second chances."

"You don't want the second chance I'm offering. You had a hand in nearly destroying a very expensive bus that provides a highly sought-after service to homeless people across the city. What makes you think that I am going to do anything less than send you back to jail? Think about it for a bit. I brought lunch like I promised. It's in the supply room. When you are ready to talk, come find me."

* * *

Piper smiled as she checked her phone upon leaving the meeting with Marta. She had a missed call and a text message from Alex. She unlocked her phone to read.

_[Call me when you get a chance. X ~A]_

She quickly found Alex's number and pressed it, smiling at the picture that came up as the call connected. It was a photo of Alex from the night of the foundation unveiling. She'd been wearing a body hugging black dress with a scoop neck that plunged to just the right depth to show the perfect amount of cleavage.

"Hey Pipes."

"Hey yourself. How's your jailbird?" Piper heard a frustrated sigh on the other end of the phone. "Bad, eh?" Alex quickly filled her in on what she had found and asked for advice on what to do. "Oh Alex, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to tell you. I think you have to figure this one out on your own."

"Ugh, that's not fair. I think she's coming, so I need to hang up."

"Yeah, life sucks. But at least you have me."

"True! See you tonight?"

"Certainly."

Alex disconnected the call and slipped her phone into her back pocket just as Tiffany came into the supply room. Alex motioned at the pile of tacos and bottle of water she had set aside for her. Alex decide to not talk first and let the silence dictate how long Tiffany would go on being an ass.

It was not long before Tiffany spoke in a quiet voice. "Alex, I'm sorry. I really don't want to go back to jail. That place is awful, worse than being on the street." Alex didn't respond. After a bit of time, Tiffany spoke again. "Can you give me another shot here? Please?"

After a painstaking wait, Alex spoke. "I have a philosophy Doggett. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. You aren't getting a third chance with the _Cinderella Foundation_. Our work here depends on an explicit trust which you have already broken twice. I'm sorry. You no longer have a position here."

Tiffany hung her head and Alex thought she was about to cry. "So, that's it? I go back to jail? That sucks."

"Well it sucks that you destroyed our bus Tiffany. You hurt hundreds of people in that one night of recklessness."

"Mendez was pissed. He told us how Piper acted homeless to steal services from the people who really needed them. That's why we did it Alex. You have to believe me. You didn't have to sleep in a blizzard because your spot at a shelter was taken by someone who didn't even need it. I'm not saying what we did was right but put yourself in my shoes."

Alex thought for a while, squinting her eyes closed to block out the light which was affecting the stress headache she was getting. She took in a deep breath and made her decision. "Okay Doggett, you have two choices."

* * *

Nicky kicked the door multiple times with her foot. "Open the fuck up Stretch," she bellowed. She kicked the door again. Soon the door slid open and Alex stood there with wet hair, glaring at her best friend. Nicky pushed past her. "Damn it Stretch. My hands are full. Help a sister out."

Alex relieved her of some of the bags she was carrying and set them on the table. Peeking in to one of the bags, she pulled out a carton. "Chinese?"

"Nope Thai. I hope you are hungry. I got a shit load."

"Pipes should be here soon. Thanks for bringing dinner."

Nicky stuck her head in the fridge and pulled out two beers, popping the caps off and handing one bottle to Alex. "Speaking of blondie, how are you two doing?"

"Better." Alex grinned. "I think I got a reality check." She drained about a third of her beer. "That woman is almost too good for me."

"You bust out the l-word yet?"

Alex's face turned flushed as she avoided answering the question. "What's going on with you and Lorna? Tell me about the hamburger date."

"I asked you a question first Stretch."

Alex opened her mouth to speak when her loft door slid open. Piper closed the door behind her and quickly closed the distance between them and gave her a solid kiss. Alex wrapped her arms around Piper and thought about what Nicky had just asked. A warmth spread through her along with the realization that Nicky's question just might have some meat behind it.

Piper popped the six-pack of beer she was carrying in the fridge as she grabbed a cold one. "Hey Nic. How are you?"

"Great!" Nicky grinned. The three pulled out the variety of food Nicky had brought and took portions of their favorites and dug in.

Conversation was light as they ate. Piper told Nicky about her trip, and Nicky told Piper about her hamburger date despite Alex's protests that she couldn't get the story from Nicky earlier. Nicky just looked at Piper and winked.

"That was the first hamburger she had since before she went to prison? Wow! Did she enjoy it?" Piper took a final bite and wiped her mouth free of any lingering food.

"Hell yeah she did. We had three burgers between us, and I swear she ate twice as much as I did. That girl can put away some food. But we had a great time. I want to take her out again, maybe to a little nicer place next time."

"I don't know," Piper teased. "Lorna seems to be a hole in the wall kinda gal. I bet she'd be happy with any place you took her." Nicky's face was covered with an uncharacteristic blush.

Alex cleared her throat. "Well thanks to both of you for coming over tonight. As much as I enjoy our little banter, I do have some foundation business to discuss." Alex swallowed the lump in her throat dreading what was coming.

"First I have some promising news on the sponsor front. I met with the owner of the company that manages Greystone apartments. They are a large housing corporation with complexes around the city, one that's right up the transit line from our bus barn. She is looking for an in-kind trade for advertising on both buses, on our website, and at fund-raisers."

"Wow Alex, that's a lot of free advertising." Piper's reaction was skeptical as she mentally calculated the dollar value of the marketing the company was looking for.

"What's she giving up in trade?" Nicky shoved the last of her food in her mouth.

"Yeah, that's the kicker. Up to six fully furnished, all bills paid one-bedroom apartments with an option for additional units for a deeply discounted rate."

Nicky began to gag, choking on her food. She stood up hacking, trying to dislodge the food that had apparently gone down her windpipe. When she finally could breathe again, she yelled, "What the fuck Vause? Are you fucking kidding me?" Piper could hardly hold her excitement as well.

"I'm not kidding. Of course, I told her I had to check with the other foundation members and the board. She gave me the contract, so we could let the lawyers look it over if it's something we want to go forward with. She said she has been hearing good things about the foundation and wants to get in on the action while it's hot and new."

"Babe that's incredible news. You were quite productive today." Piper reached over to Alex's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Who knew that Stretch was such a capable fund raiser? Marka will be proud."

The women basked in the good news for a bit then Nicky said, "well I have an early morning, so as much as I love your guys' company, I need to go."

"Wait," Alex stopped her from getting up. "There is something else. This isn't such a good thing." Alex took a deep breath waiting for Nicky settled back in her seat. "Let me just start by saying – I was wrong."

When Alex didn't continue, Piper questioned her. "Wrong about what Al?"

Alex finally took the plunge and told them the whole story about what happened when she went to check on Tiffany. She was surprised that Nicky didn't start in on her with her "I told you so" bit. Alex was torn up about this enough as it was. Her best friend mouthing off would make it worse

"So, where's she now? Did you take her ass back to jail?"

"I gave her two choices, going back to jail was one of them."

"And?"

"She chose option 2. We packed up her stuff and I put her on a bus with a one-way ticket to Owlsey, Kentucky – deep in the Appalachian Mountains. She got in touch with a third cousin there who was willing to take her in." Alex stopped, waiting for the onslaught she expected for not sending Tiffany back to jail for destroying the bus. When none came, she was shocked.

Finally, Nicky stood up and put her hand on Alex's shoulder. "Well Stretch, you are a bigger woman than myself. I guess you have learned how to give a real second chance. Good job." With that, she gave her friend a hug and left.

As the door closed, Alex finally looked over to Piper trying to gauge her reaction. A smile flickered across her face. "It would have been easier to send her to jail. Maybe this is what she needs to truly break her own cycle of self-destruction." Piper stood up and wrapped her arms around Alex's neck. "I'm proud of you Alex."

"Don't you want to know what made me do it?"

Perplexed, Piper sat back down beside Alex. With her eyebrows furrowed together, she responded. "We've been talking so much about second chances. I just guessed that's why you made that decision."

"This is true, but there was another reason." Alex then started a tale of a homeless woman who lost a slot at a homeless shelter and had to hunker down in the elements during the worst blizzard in Chicago's recent history. When she finished telling the tale, tears formed in the corner of Piper's eyes. "I figured if someone really deserved a second chance, it was her."


	19. Kiss and Tell

The rest of the week went smoothly for the crew of the Cinderella Foundation. Alex made the executive decision to not let them know about the pending apartment deal with the Greystone management company until the contracts had been signed. Having been pulled fresh off the street, the women's lives had already been turned upside down – granted it was in a good way, but sometimes too much of a good thing can get overwhelming.

"Maybe we can use the hotel as sort of a half-way house for any new person we hire to let them acclimate to having a place to lay their head, food and proper clothing. That way we can see if they work out." Alex blew on her steaming coffee as Piper folded back the morning paper she was reading. "I mean, we need to check with the attorney, but I'm sure removing someone from the hotel is a lot easier than evicting them from an apartment. God, I can only imagine what I would have done had Tiffany not agreed to leave so easily."

Piper chuckled as she turned the page. "Yeah, you dodged the bullet on that one. You should probably have a sit down with legal about bringing on new employees to make sure everything is covered now that we will have even a larger incentive for them to stay with us."

Alex winced as she took a gulp of her still too hot coffee. Piper looked up from her reading and chuckled. "What?" Alex asked with a look of mock annoyance on her face. She scooted her chair over closer to Piper, moving her face right up to Piper's, gawking at her while she read.

"Do you mind?" Piper ignored the face staring so closely that she could feel eyelashes fluttering on her cheek. "What has gotten into you Al?" Piper playfully pushed her brunette girlfriend away. Alex stood up – towering over the seated blonde, studied her, then threw one leg over the arm holding the paper and sat down, crushing the paper with her body blocking the view of Piper's morning reading material. "Seriously?" Piper was trying valiantly to maintain a straight face but burst out laughing at the dead-pan look on Alex's face.

After a few moments of eye contact, Alex gave a crooked grin as she ran her hands up Piper's arms and shoulders and softly cupped her face with her palms. With slow, deliberate movement Alex moved her face closer until their lips almost touched. Piper's lips separated in anticipation of the kiss, but Alex moved her head slightly back out of range. She ever so subtly shook her head "no" and whispered, "Be still. Don't move or I will stop."

While Alex kept her eyes open and locked on Piper's, she slowly used her tongue to trace Piper's lips. Piper gasped lightly and started to kiss Alex gently. Alex made a noise in the back of her throat and moved backwards. "I said don't move." Piper wrapped her hands in Alex's t-shirt and settled into her chair.

Alex again began to trace Piper's lips with her tongue then gently sucked her lower lip. Stretching into Piper's mouth, she found Piper's tongue, dancing to join hers. Alex watched as Piper's eyes drifted closed as her body melted into the sensations. She continued to kiss Piper as if being kissed back. When she broke the kiss, she dropped her hands down to Piper's breasts and moved her mouth to suck Piper's earlobe into her mouth with a wet sucking sound. "Do you like this? Do you like not being able to move?"

Piper clenched Alex's t-shirt tighter and moaned. As she moaned, she lifted her hips, pressing into Alex who was still straddling her. Alex whispered again, "You impish little girl. You aren't supposed to be moving." Alex caught one of Piper's nipples through the cloth of her shirt and bra and twisted just enough to make the blonde squeal.

"Please." Piper's voice was quiet, yet pleading.

Alex had begun pushing down against her hips as she sucked Piper's ears, throat, neck. "Hmmm?"

"Please." Piper begged a little louder. "Please let me kiss you."

Suddenly Alex's mouth crashed into Piper's, nearly knocking the wind from her lungs. The innocence of a teasing kiss turned fiery, demanding, and passionate. Alex's hands roamed Piper's body from her breasts to her face to her arms as if they were lost before they finally found a resting place with her fingers wrapped in Piper's blonde locks.

Frustrated with grinding Piper while straddling her and not being able to get the right amount of friction, Alex slipped to one side to try to find leverage for the right pressure in a different position. This gave Piper a chance to slide her hand between her leg and Alex. She began to rub against the seam of Alex's jeans, feeling the heat and building moisture through the thick material.

Alex broke the deep kiss and let out a guttural growl. She leapt up and swept Piper off her feet to carry her bridal style into the bedroom. Tossing Piper on the bed, she fumbled at Piper's jeans, managing somehow to pull them off while Piper stripped Alex's pants as far as her ankles. A frustrated Alex finally managed to kick her pants off her feet as she fell onto the mattress beside Piper, wrapping one leg around hers, effectively locking their bodies together.

Piper rolled to her side, grabbed Alex behind her head and pulled their faces together to continue the deep, passionate kiss. Alex was sufficiently distracted enough for Piper to wriggle her way around to where she was atop Alex, straddling her one leg that wasn't already entwined. She slowly moved her hips side to side and spread herself on Alex's skin.

Alex's head dropped to one side as she gasped. "Fuck. FUCK! God Pipes you are so wet." Piper moved her head back down to catch Alex's mouth and ravished her again before Alex could catch her breath from the surprise of the level of Piper's arousal. She settled down on Alex's leg and pressed harder, sliding slightly, as she thrust her tongue deep into Alex's mouth.

Piper was so caught up in her ministrations against Alex's leg and kissing her girlfriend that before she realized, Alex had managed to shift Piper up her body where she then worked both arms behind the crook of Piper's knees. With one strong bump of Alex's hips, Piper was no longer able to reach Alex's mouth and found herself straddling Alex's chest, looking down at Alex. While this was Alex's plan, she realized that she was now at Piper's mercy as her arms were, in essence, trapped by Piper's knees.

Alex dropped her eyes and licked her lips. "Please?" Piper raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Please?" Alex lifted up slightly to try to inch Piper forward. "It's my turn to beg, and god I want you." Alex reached up as far as she could reach and dug her finger tips into Piper's back, careful to not dig in with her nails too deeply and dragged her fingers down Piper's back. She grabbed two handfuls of Piper's ass and pushed forward as she wriggled her own body down slightly.

Piper pushed forward on her knees and positioned herself right over Alex's face. She dipped down enough for Alex to get in one solid lick then lifted herself back up as she looked down at Alex and grinned. Alex wrapped her forearms around Piper's hips and solidly pulled Piper down firmly onto her mouth. Both women moaned simultaneously as Alex began to whip her tongue in and out of Piper and flex her jaw.

Piper immediately felt her groin tightening up as the pleasure coursed through her. She fell forward, catching herself on the wall. With the side of her face smashed against the wall, she reached down with one hand to pull Alex's head more tightly to her crotch as she slowly began to rock in motion with Alex's tongue. Piper's head began to spin as Alex's tongue and jaw changed from long strokes to fast flicks against her clit to sinking deep inside her. The sensations were building so intensely, Piper finally quit moving so as to not lose the feelings and allowed the orgasm to explode out of her.

Alex had no plans of stopping as Piper's juices flowed down the sides of her face. Her plans included as many orgasms as her lover could handle before passing out. However, she was caught off guard when one of her nipples was caught between two of Piper's knuckles. The pain of Piper's twisting motion was not unpleasant and in fact made her crotch ache that much more. Yet, it was just enough distraction for Piper to spin her body around. Before Alex could protest, Piper settled herself back down on Alex's face and fell forward to bury her own into Alex's wetness.

* * *

Nicky bounced down the stairs of the bus to relieve Poussey for a lunch break. She bounced off Alex who was heading into the bus. "Well look at who the cat dragged in. Nice of you to join us Stretch."

"Shut your trap Nic. I'm here in time for breaks, ain't I?"

Nicky punched Alex on the shoulder, shadow boxing at her stomach. "Why you grinning so big Stretch? You must have gotten some last night."

"Nope."

"This morning?"

Alex tried to hide her growing grin.

"Woo hoo! I want details."

"Fuck off Nichols. I don't kiss and tell."

"Damn! Who are you and what have you done with my best friend? The Vause I know loves to share her sexual exploits. In fact, I sometimes think she thrives on it."

"Fuck off."

Nicky chuckled as she pointed inside the bus. "You can let Lorna go to lunch. I've got things covered out here."

* * *

After the woman took their breaks, Nicky and Alex pulled up folding chairs towards the end of the bus to catch up on business. "There are only two women here today? What's up?" After looking around, Alex realized that Taystee and Tricia weren't around.

"Taystee and Tricia know how the work the bus with just a pair. They wanted to stay back and clean up Jaq. I guess this is like a test run for these two bozos." Nicky motioned towards Poussey.

"I heard that boss lady. I ain't no clown." She switched into a southern drawl. "I'm a sophisticated door woman from Georgia keeping watch over Gus's integrity." Poussey chuckled at herself. Even if nobody else thought she was funny, she thought herself as hilarious.

Alex grinned and sent Poussey a thumbs-up. "That's a good thing, I suppose. The sooner Jaq is back in operation, we can go to two buses."

"You know how I told you Lorna was a whiz at organizing things? Check this out." Nicky pulled out a half-wadded sheet of paper from her pocket. "She worked out a schedule. If we hire two more women, I suppose we are only hiring women, that gives us three per bus. This is a rotation schedule where the floater rotates in for regular breaks and lunch. This will slowly allow us to move to more supervisory roles."

"Damn Nic, you almost sound smart." Alex took the schedule from Nicky and attempted to straighten out the wrinkles on her knee. "Hey this does look pretty good. Let's run it by Piper and see what she says."

"Piper, Piper, Piper. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you are getting whipped."

This time Alex punched Nicky in the shoulder. "Naw, I just learned my lesson about making decisions without having all the facts and informing the whole team."

* * *

A few weeks later, Jaq was feeling much better. He had new upholstery and cushions on the inside. The graffiti had been scrubbed off and a brand-new wrapper put on. Taystee stepped back and looked at the pair of buses. "I wonder if Jaq and Gus ever get a complex. I mean we refer to them as our boys, yet they have these references to huge, blonde Disney princesses on the outside. I wonder if they are confused."

Poussey busted out in a laugh. "Yeah man. And I get the Cinderella reference and all, but I think on the next bus, Cinderella needs to be a sista!"

"Ahhh yeah… snap!" Taystee held her hand out for Poussey to slap it then they waggled their fingers at each other.

Taystee wound up her towel and popped Lorna, who was bending over shining the chrome on Jaq's wheels. "Ow! Taystee! What was that for?" Lorna's accent tended to get thicker when she was annoyed.

"You get your commercial license yet?"

"I'll have you know I take my final driving test tomorrow."

"Sweeeeeeeeeeeet. Let me know if you need some practice tonight. You are going to score and pass on your first time 'cuz you had a kick ass teacher." Taystee acted like she was shining her nails on her shirt.

Lorna rolled her eyes, picked up her bucket and headed towards the equipment shed. "That's what  _she_  said," Lorna threw sarcastically over her shoulder.

* * *

Nicky and Alex agreed to let Piper search for two final women to add to their roster so they would be up to full capacity. She had the most connections within the shelters which would go a long way in selecting viable candidates. Nicky and Alex would get to meet the potential employees then together they would make a final decision. Things were working out much better with foundation business as the trio laid out better divisions of roles and responsibilities.

While Jaq was still being reassembled, Piper visited Red at the shelter where she used to volunteer. "Oh the prodigal daughter returns to grace the shelter with her presence." Red gave her favorite daughter a mock bow before enveloping her in a tremendous hug.

"I've missed you, too, Red. How are things here?"

"Well because we got this big donation from a foundation – you probably haven't ever heard of it – and we got lots of new toys. Come, let me show you." Red took Piper on a tour to show her what all had been purchased with the donation from Marka's foundation the day of the bus grand opening. "I was able to get a brand-new walk in freezer. The other one kept going out and repairs were ridiculous." She showed off her two sets of industrial sized washer and dryers. "We were able to make repairs to the bathrooms and spruce things up a bit. I'm ever so thankful." Red was proud of what all had changed around the shelter. "And with the extra advertising of having the Cinderella bus parked here weekly, donations have increased significantly – both goods and money."

Piper flashed a huge smile at Red. "I'm learning that community awareness is key. Good things are happening for us Red. I have you to thank."

"Me?" Red looked shocked.

"I consider you my mentor. Without your encouragement and guidance, I don't think I could have ever gotten to this point with my mission. Thanks." This time it was Piper who stepped forward to embrace the fire-headed woman. "Now I have a favor." Piper explained about the two employees she need to round out the crew. "You know these people best. If you have a woman or two who you think might meet our needs, here is a flyer about the job. Send them over to the Trafa agency who will help them with a resume, clothes and coach them on interview tips. Three of the four women we hired went through this process and are doing quite well. They all are hard workers with a willingness to make a change in their lives."

Red took the flyers from Piper and nodded her understanding. "I have a few women in mind. It's the least I can do for my favorite volunteer."

* * *

The last two weeks had been brutal. Who would have thought that setting up and running a foundation such as theirs would be so exhausting? Piper walked into her apartment, kicked off her heels and collapsed on her couch. She had heard her text message alert sound as she had come up the elevator. Pulling her phone out of her purse, she unlocked the screen and read.

_[I miss you ~A]_

Piper's heart fluttered as she realized how little she had actually seen of Alex in the past two weeks.

_[Not as much as I miss you ~P]_

_[Dinner? ~A]_

Piper laid her head back on the couch. God she was drained, but she also wanted to see Alex. She was torn at what to do.

_[Please? ~A]_

Piper's heart fluttered a little harder. Before she could answer, her phone went off a third time.

 _[I'll cook ;) ~A]_  
[ Sold ~P]  
[Great cuz it's in the oven. We are waiting on you X ~A]  
[We? ~P]  
[Yeah – me and dinner ~A]  
[Funny girl! See you soon X ~P]

Piper took a quick shower and let her hair dry naturally, pulled over her shoulders. She slipped on Alex's Led Zepplin t-shirt that she had stolen a few months back. The material was so soft from many years of wear that it was about the most comfortable shirt Piper had in her possession. Pulling on a pair of cotton yoga pants and slipping into some sandals, Piper made her way to Alex's.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	20. Love, YouTube, and Pizza

A fresh garden salad and homemade lasagna really hit the spot. Alex and Piper had retired to the couch with glasses of wine, Piper with her feet tucked under her and snuggled into Alex as the older woman's arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"Thanks for dinner Al. This has been a relaxing evening – something I've needed with all of the recent rush."

Alex squeezed her girlfriend a little more tightly. "I had ulterior motives. I missed you."

Smiling against Alex's chest, Piper responded, "I missed you, too."

Draining the rest of her wine, Alex leaned forward to place her glass on the coffee table. "Excuse me for a moment." She disappeared into the bedroom and soon returned with one arm hidden behind her back and a loosely wrapped package under her other arm. Alex looked quite nervous as she moved to stand in front of Piper then kneeled in front of her.

"I know we've talked about when we first met, on the streets. For the life of me, I could not figure out what drew me to you. When I couldn't find you after the blizzard, I was frantic. Then I saw you speak at the Homeless Symposium downtown. I was so pissed. I felt angry, betrayed even. I guess I also felt a little foolish. All these emotions coursed through me in the short amount of time from the time I laid eyes on you."

She handed Piper the rectangular package and motioned for her to open it. It was a hinged picture frame with two rough sketches. One was of a hunched woman sitting on a park bench, bracing against the harsh Chicago wind. The other was a drawing of an overcoat draped over a diner chair with a scarf and beanie haphazardly piled on the table. Cold versus warmth.

Confused, Piper started to speak, but Alex leaned forward and placed a finger on her lips. "Shhh, just hear me out. After the day I saw you in the park, I went back to the café in hopes of seeing you. I was trying to come up with ideas to rescue Nicky from herself and the impending loss of her inheritance. The juxtaposition of a miserable cold human with clothing that allowed me to stay comfortably warm is what sparked my ideas which led me to getting to know you." Piper looked from the drawings to Alex who continued to talk.

"As I've gotten to know you, my emotions have leveled out. I realize the utterly amazing person you are – kind, caring, and giving. You are the most selfless person I know. I cherish you above anything else in my life, Pipes." Alex brought her arm from around her back and placed a single red rose in the blonde's lap. "They say you only fall in love once, but that can't be true ... Every time I look at you, I fall in love all over again. I love you Piper Elizabeth Chapman." Alex kept her eyes on Piper's as she kissed her girlfriend's knee.

Piper's eyes flooded with tears. "Oh Alex," she choked out. "I don't know what to say." She gently laid the frames aside to pick up the rose, bringing it to her nose and smelling deeply. Suddenly she bent down and flung her arms around Alex's neck, burying her face in the crook. After embracing Alex for a moment, Piper moved her mouth up to Alex's ear and whispered, "I don't know how you do it, but you always make me laugh even when I'm trying my best to be cranky. That says a lot, so yeah – I love you, too, Alex. I love you, too." Piper pulled Alex up next to her on the couch and kissed her long and hard. "I hope you know that this means that I plan on bugging you every single day for the foreseeable future."

Alex grinned as she responded, "I think I'd like that." Turning her head, she pressed her forehead against Piper's. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited to say those words to you? To hear those words from you?" Alex pressed her lips against Piper's

"Possibly just as long as I've been waiting…" Piper kissed Alex back then said, "Hey, Goose, you big stud. Take me to bed or lose me forever."

Alex tossed her head back as she laughed. "Show me the way home, honey... God, I hated that movie." Alex stood and swooped Piper off her feet and headed to the bedroom. As she tossed Piper unceremoniously on the bed, Piper dramatically ripped her own shirt open, exposing her bra and lily white skin of her taut abdomen. "Then again, Top Gun is looking pretty good right now."

Both women giggled before burying themselves into each other and making love through the rest of the night.

* * *

Piper propped up her iPad for Nicky and Alex. She was grinning a little too widely as she clicked on the YouTube link she had saved in her favorites. "I think you guys are going to  **love**  this." Alex looked at Nicky questionably as Nicky just shrugged her shoulders.

Two Hispanic women's faces filled the screen and they introduced themselves quickly. Then the camera shifted to focus on just one. "Check out this amenities kit provided by the Cinderella bus. They have thoughtfully provided a comb to tame those wild locks," the Hispanic woman with thick black eyeliner and drawn teardrops beneath her eyes demonstrated by dramatically pulling the comb through her damp hair, but it got caught in a large tangle.

"We also get a razor because everybody knows that clean shaven legs make a difference." She waved the razor in the air before dropping it in the sink. "We now have the most useful things in our first-class kit – our toothbrush, this lovely tube of toothpaste, and a new pair of socks." She modeled each item like she was on QVC network before going to the next. "For those of you who aren't blessed with a life on the street, fresh socks are extremely valuable. They can make the difference between losing a toe during a winter storm and having nice cozy feet."

The camera shot shifted to a younger, shorter woman with black, chest length hair. "So, to rate this homeless amenity kit, we give it a B+. Suggestions for improvement would be to create a women's version of the kit that includes a small brush oh a small stick of deodorant in all the bags would help."

Then both women's heads appeared in the shot. The first woman said, "I'm Flaca."

The second said, "And I'm Maritza, and thanks for joining us for this episode of…"

"Tips for the Homeless!" They shouted together. Both could be heard giggling as the YouTube video ended.

Piper closed the app on her iPad and turned to Alex and Nicky who were sitting there, speechless. Finally, Nicky found her words, "Ummm, what was that?"

Alex just shook her head. Piper laughed and said "That… is an interview video submitted by two of the applicants for the last two positions we have open now. Apparently, they are a package deal."

"But the video, internet access… seriously?" Alex was still shocked at the video. "How did they manage this? Are they even homeless?"

"They have excellent social skills and along with powers of persuasion, Flaca was able to pitch the idea to Red and convinced her to loan out her phone."

"Well they did a surprisingly good job and check out the hits. People are actually watching this." Alex tapped the views on the screen. She nodded her head. "Interesting."

"Apparently, Maritza used to be an administrative assistant for a social media guru at a marketing agency. It was a small company that folded, and she lost her job due to no fault of her own. Soon thereafter, she had to move out of her apartment and was forced onto the streets. I really like them. They are really good at this, and that was just their first video."

Nicky looked at Alex and raised her eyebrows. "Whatcha think Stretch?"

Alex cocked her head sideways. "This has definite possibilities. I think Pipes found a great match. They did an excellent job. Maybe we can not only use them as the third on the buses, but also as social media managers. We could leverage the free advertising to drive donations for the foundation as well as the shelters we serve. This could really be a boon. I say yes."

Nicky nodded her head. "Agreed." She ran her hand through her bushy hair. "Do you want to meet them?"

Alex nodded her head towards the screen. "I think we just did."

Excitedly clapping her hands, Piper shut her laptop lid. "Great! Red will be delighted as well. These are the only two she recommended – maybe it was her way of forcing my hand!"

* * *

Piper entered the shelter through the delivery door. She stopped by Red's office to share the good news. "I am glad you made the right decision my child. You will not disappointed." Red stood up and held her hand against her aching back. "Come. Let's go find them."

Red led Piper to the women's side of the shelter and found the two new employees with their cots pushed together. They were sitting, with their legs crossed on the cots and their backs to the entrance.

The shorter woman was talking. "Everyone likes pizza. It's American and shit. That will be my slogan when I run for president.  _If you want more pizza, vote for Maritza._ "

Flaca was filing her nails with an old worn out emery board and said, "I wonder if we offer to help if Red will let us make pizza next week. We can make pizza, right?"

Red cleared her throat. Both woman jumped as they turned around and saw their audience. Not knowing what all had been heard by the cook and their potential employer, they blushed slightly.

Piper balanced herself on the edge of the cot, memories of the uncomfortable nights she, herself, had spent at the other shelter on an identical cot. "Since you have a fondness for pizza, how about we have pizza for dinner tonight?"

Maritza looked at Flaca questioningly. They both raised their arms and lurched towards Piper nearly tackling her off the edge of the cot. "I take that means yes?" Piper laughed at their exuberance.

"Wait. Does this mean we got the job?" When Piper nodded, both women nodded and responded, "Yes, yes, yes, yes."

"We will leave you to pack your bags then we can go to dinner. After that, we can go to your new home." Piper patted them both on their shoulders and stood up.

Maritza reached behind her cot and pulled up a ratty duffle bag and plopped it on the sheets. "Pack? We've been waiting on you, boss. We had faith you would make the best decision."

Piper threw her head back and laughed. "Well then, grab your stuff. For some reason, I have a hankering for some pizza. And I think I know just the place."

* * *

Nicky and Alex arrived at the restaurant before Piper and the new hires. "Nichols, party of five."

The woman looked at the pair. "And the others in your party?"

"…will be here soon." Nicky wasn't used to being challenged.

The hostess tapped the sign on the stand and pointed to the line behind them. "I'm sorry; we don't seat incomplete parties." Nicky slipped a folded bill from her pocket and discreetly slid it across the hostess stand. The woman looked down and pocketed the bill. "Right this way Ms. Nichols."

Nicky turned to Alex and grinned as they took their seat. "I can't believe you just dropped a C-note for a table at a pizza joint Nic."

"What are you talking about?" Nicky questioned as she slid into the round booth. "This is  _The Original Gino's East Pizzeria_ , home of the Chicago's best deep-dish pizza. Piper said the new girls were really craving pizza and suggested this place. I concur because this  _is_  the best place in town. Let's grab a couple pitchers of beer." She motioned to the server.

"Ahhh no. Remember – no alcohol. Plus, it's lunchtime Nicky. God you are such a lush." Alex ordered them both iced teas and five waters. She also ordered an appetizer sampler which included spinach sticks, mozzarella sticks, fried calamari, and spinach artichoke dip. She pulled out her vibrating phone and read a message. "That was Piper. They are parking."

As the last of their party approached the table, Alex stood up with a huge grin plastered on her face. She placed one hand on the side of Piper's cheek and kissed her softly. Leaning forward, she whispered a soft "I love you" in the blonde's ear.

"Ack. Get a room." Nicky blasted and interrupted their moment. "Ladies, I apologize for my colleagues. They can be quite inappropriate at times." Nicky offered her hand to the women. "But it's great to meet you. Piper said you were craving pizza. Well welcome to Chicago's best pizzeria!" Nicky motioned for them to take a seat in the booth. She shoved Alex and Piper in on the other side as she wiggled her hips over to force them around to make room for her.

By the time the appetizers arrived, everyone had agreed on pizzas to order. Piper assured the women that there would be plenty to eat from here forward while they worked for the _Cinderella Foundation_. "Don't gorge yourself and make yourself sick. We are over-ordering on purpose. Leftover pizza is one of the best ways to win over the rest of the crew back at the hotel. Plus, we will order some whole pizzas as well. You get to be the heroes."

The two Hispanic women were quiet and shy at first, but as the lunch went on – they seemed to loosen up. They shared their ideas about social media, and their enthusiasm was completely contagious. As they were finishing up, Alex explained the probationary contract and expectations. Nicky talked about the allowance both would receive to help get them set up at the hotel. "But first, Alex and I got you a welcome present." She pulled a box stuffed into a paper bag and pushed it over to the new girls.

Flaca grabbed it first and smiled broadly. "I love presents." She reached in and pulled out Go-Pro Hero5 Black camera.

Her best friend snatched it from her hand. "A real Go-Pro? For us? This model is whack. Thanks!"

"We will sort out a computer, internet access, and stuff later. We need a system to keep track of schedules and inventory anyway. We thought you could start playing around and getting familiar with it." Alex was pleased at the reaction and knew that she and Nicky had made a good choice.

Once all the leftover pizza had been boxed and the whole pizzas stacked along with them, the new girls loaded up with Nicky so that Piper and Alex could go back to the foundation office together.

As Alex climbed into Piper's car, her girlfriend looked at her. "Well did you like them?" She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, concerned about Alex's reaction.

"Pipes stop that. I loved them. They will fit right in. You did a good job."

* * *

Nicky pulled up to the hotel and honked her horn multiple times as if the rest of the crew could hear them. She motioned for Flaca and Maritza to grab the pizza boxes as they all headed into the hotel. Nicky banged on Taystee's door and yelled for her to open up. "Yo T, open up. We got grub."

Taystee ripped open the door and looked Nicky up and down. "You ain't got food in yo hands." Then she looked at the newcomers. "Oh girrrrrrl, you brought pizzzzzzzzzzzzza!" Taystee's voice echoed down the hallway.

Suddenly Poussey's head popped up like a chipmunk over Taystee's shoulder. "Did someone say pizza?" She took a deep whiff. "Come in my new best friends. Come in!"

After quick introductions, Nicky motioned to the pizzas. "Do. Not. Touch." Nicky admonished them. "I'm going to get Lorna and Trish. Drinks, plates, you know the deal. Be good hostesses." As Nicky headed out the door, she spoke over her shoulder. "And leave those pizzas alone."

"Welcome my ladies." Poussey switched into Mackenzie's Southern belle mode as she motioned for Flaca and Maritza to come in. "Why thank you for your kind gesture. Amanda, we need to show these fine young visitors some of our Southern hospitality."

"Why yes Amanda," Taystee spouted. "Good Southern women never come a'calling without bearing gifts. And I would be a'miss if the inner hostess in me did not offer you a cool, refreshing beverage. Would you women care for some tea?" She smirked as she shifted back to Taystee mode. "Or we have sodas if you'd rather."

"Why Amanda, how about a tall, refreshing glass of freshly squeezed lemonade? It goes perfect for our Southern afternoon."

Mackensie and Amanda continued their banter until everyone got there and introductions were made all around, Nicky left them to enjoy the pizza in peace and to get to know the newcomers. She instructed Taystee to make sure that Flaca and Maritza knew how to get to the store to get stocked up on things they would need for their hotel room. As Nicky was leaving, she saw Maritza break out the Go-Pro and start goofing off with videoing things. She had a feeling those two were going to fit right in.

* * *

Alex unlocked the office and pushed the door open to allow Piper to walk through before her. She stepped in and closed the door behind them. "Hi." Alex flashed a mischievous grin as she locked the office door.

"Hi yourself," Piper smirked. "Something tells me you are up to something Al." Piper walked up and ran her finger demurely down the front of Alex's shirt.

Alex pressed her body against Piper's and took a step forward, moving Piper backwards. She reached down and gave the blonde a short but firm kiss. Taking a few more steps, Alex continued to move them backwards, stopping only when Piper's ass was wedged firmly against the desk. She slipped her mouth down and gently ran her teeth against Piper's neck. She lifted Piper up and gently placed her on the desk, leaving her hands on Piper's thighs.

"Kiss me," Piper's pleas were soft, barely audible. She placed one hand on either side of Alex's face and gently guided her head back to her mouth. She softly explored Alex's mouth with her tongue, melting into the kiss. She slightly drew in a breath as Alex inched her hands beneath Piper's skirt.

Piper shifted from side to side on her hips to allow Alex better access. The further Alex's hands got, the deeper Piper's kiss became. Alex wrapped her hands around Piper's panties and ripped them down her thighs and tossed them aside. Piper gave a guttural moan as she threw her head back. Alex randomly ran her hands up and down Piper's legs, focusing on the inside of her thighs which was making Piper lose all control.

Piper's skirt was pulled up past her ass enabling her to throw her legs around Alex's waist, pulling them closer together. Alex slid her hands under Piper's ass squeezed tightly. "God I love this," she growled into Piper's ear. "I love you." With that she picked Piper up and shuffled over to the office couch where her girlfriend would be much more comfortable while she worked her magic.


	21. Two Steps Forward

Nicky parked her car and went upstairs to the office of the _Cinderella Foundation_. She knocked before entering then covered her eyes as she opened the door. "I'm coming in. Cover up. Hide your lady bits. Yoo hoo!"

"Ha ha very funny Nicky. Uncover your fucking eyes; we are decent." Alex chuckled at her best friend's antics despite having very un-pure thoughts of throwing Piper down right on the desk just an hour earlier and having her way with her on the couch. Piper flushed with embarrassment.

Nicky seemed clueless at the subtle messages passing between the couple. "The ladies are settled, and the pizza was an absolute hit. So, my fellow Cinderellians, what's next?" Nicky leaned her hands against the table to look over the blue print which Alex and Piper had been studying when she came in.

Since her return from her trip, Piper had been working on plans to finalize capital outlay. Her most recent ideas surrounded the place where they currently stored the buses. "I've talked to the manager of the bus barn. This small building here is not currently being utilized. Frankly it's a waste of space for him." Piper then rolled out a thin sheet of paper on top of the original blueprint to sketch out her ideas.

"What if we were to rehab it into a storage area for supplies as well as place to assemble bus kits?" She drew in rough lines to lay out the area. "And then over here can be an office with a computer and a few desks. Lorna can work on schedules, Flaca and Maritza can edit videos, everything."

"That's all and good Pipes." Alex looked from the plans to her two business partners. "But can the foundation afford all of this work up front?"

"We raised quite a bit of money at our gala, but honestly we've been subsisting mostly on product donation. Our capital outlay has been limited to the buses, salary, and lodging." Piper took them through the balance sheets and shared the rest of her ideas. "Plus, moving our core crew to the apartments will save a lot in funds."

* * *

The next week, both buses were on the road, obviously doubling capacity. Flaca and Maritza weren't exactly happy about being split between the buses, but they understood the other women had more experience and that they had a lot to learn. They alternated with the Go-Pro getting a lot of different footage in preparation for when they would be able to produce a real video that wasn't shot on a cell phone.

As the week ended, Alex called a team meeting after Jaq and Gus were cleaned, stocked, and ready to go for the next Monday. "Gals, how's things going with the two buses?" She, Nicky and Piper listened to the crew as they talked about their successes and things that needed to be tweaked. But overall the processes seemed to be effective.

Nicky then took her turn at talking. "We are so proud of each of you. Thank you for all the hard work you have put in to make this venture a success. I don't have to tell you want a difference we are making in the lives of the homeless people we are serving. And as you know, we are always ones to show our gratitude to you for helping us make this happen."

Piper stood up. "We have a few surprises for you ladies. Some changes are coming your way."

The six looked around at each other questioningly, almost nervously. They knew how lucky they were to be a part of the _Cinderella Foundation_ and each of them worked hard to make sure they met the Foundation's expectations.

The group of women traipsed the short distance to the bus barn. While the crews had been out helping the homeless every day, Piper had crews working on the small warehouse. They had finished everything just that day, lacking only moving in the remaining supplies left at the hotel. Piper unlocked the main door and flung it open. As she stepped aside to let the crew enter, they were in shock.

"Dayummmm boss ladies. Is this for us?"

"You've gone all fancy swchancy?" Taystee and Poussey were the only ones able to find their voices as everyone wandered around exploring the warehouse, storage areas, and assembly tables.

"This is going to make everything so much easier," Lorna drawled. She brushed her fingers along the bare skin on Nicky's arm, drawing goosebumps. "You ladies are really going all out."

Nicky made her way over to the inner door and opened it. "That's not all, check this out." As everyone crowded into the office, they ohh'd and aww'd over the computer set up, desks, and facilities there. Motioning to the computer, Nicky stated, "we figured you'd need something a little more high-powered to get some of your work done than these." Nicky nodded at Alex.

Nobody had noticed that Alex had been carrying a bag with several rectangular boxes, wrapped in various colors. She referred to a list she held in her hand and passed out the boxes. Once everyone had their gift, Alex laughed. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

The women scrambled to open their boxes, and Lorna was the first to reveal what it held. "Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. A cell phone? This is so nice Alex and so unexpected." Alex looked pleased but then her look became one of puzzlement as Lorna lunged past Alex and wrapped her arms around Nicky's neck. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Piper looked at Alex and laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

Alex explained the cell plan's rules and limitations as well that the phones were the property of the _Cinderella Foundation_ and were to be returned upon separation.

The women were beside themselves with enjoyment as they each had powered on their phone and were playing with the pre-installed apps, etc. Of course, the first thing Maritza did was take a selfie of her and Flaca. "Flaritza forever!"

Once the excitement had died down, Piper looked at Alex and Nicky, with a huge grin plastered on her face. But Piper was still anxious as to what was coming next. "Let's take a seat in the warehouse ladies. There's one more thing to discuss."

* * *

**_Earlier at the Greystone Complex_ **

"What do you mean you don't have six singles?" Piper looked at the apartment manager incredulously. "That was our deal in exchange for the advertisement that covers half of the street side of both of our buses right now." Piper was seething and trying to hold her steaming temper in check.

The manager's face was blanched white. "I uhhh," he stumbled, "I mis-calculated inventory."

"Well you need to make this right or that advertising comes off the bus TONIGHT. You can count on our lawyers suing you for breach of contract." Piper's frustration lay mostly in her own disappointment. They had planned on giving the news about the apartments to the crew tonight after work and having a moving party this weekend. She felt a tension headache rising up the back of her neck.

The manager was quiet then fumbled in a drawer. He pulled out some inventory sheets and began to study them in earnest. After a few moments, he looked up with an almost relieved look on his face. "I have something that may work. Perhaps we can compromise Ms. Chapman."

* * *

**_Back at the warehouse_ **

Piper took a deep breath and hoped to the heavens that the possible concessions she had agreed to with the complex manager would work out.

"How do you like your accommodations here at the hotel ladies?" Piper was nervous as hell, not sure how to tell them. Their reactions could go either way.

"They are dope." Trish leaned forward. "I mean, I've never had my own place and it's been a long time since I've had a real bed, a shower, any of that stuff."

Taystee nodded her head. "Yeah, this hotel is pretty whack." The other women all looked around at each other, nodding in agreement.

Piper released the breath she had been holding. "What if we could give you more? I mean, there's been a slight hiccup in our original plans, but you deserve more than a hotel room. That sort of seems temporary, you think?"

Poussey scoffed. "Look La Jefe, you three don't get it. We came from the streets. This is more than most of us have ever had in our lives. I don't know about you guys, but I couldn't have ever dreamed this job would be like this. I am only speaking for myself here, but I don't think we need more. You give us a lot." She motioned to all three women. "All of you do. A job, food, a roof over our heads. We'd be fools to want more."

"You know that new advertising that went up on the buses at the beginning of the week?"

Lorna chomped her gum and said, "Yah, for that apartment complex. There's one right up the road, eh?"

Piper nodded at Lorna's response. "Well the ad came at a price. For the apartments, that is." She slowly explained the agreement that the foundation had inked with the management company. When she finished, the six workers looked at each other. Suddenly it was like a bomb had exploded in the room as they all leaped up and began dancing around the room.

"You mean we get our own apartments? We just started here." Flaca looked at Piper with wide eyes. She jumped up, grabbing Maritza and began dancing around the room. Everyone was talking over each other and the questions kept rolling in.

Once the uproar died down a little bit, Piper reined them in and motioned for everyone to take their seats. "But there's a hitch. When I went by today, the manager told me there was an issue. He miscounted and doesn't have six one-bedrooms available." This seemed to knock the wind out of everyone's sails. "He has two singles. But he also has a pair of two-bedrooms."

The room was silent as everyone looked around. Poussey looked at Taystee. They both stood up with an arm raised up in the air. "Sold!" They announced simultaneously.

Flaca looked at Maritza who nodded her head slightly. "I don't want to live alone anyway. Okay, we are in."

"Seriously?" With this, the tension Piper had held in her shoulders and up her neck seemed to just roll off and disappear. "You guys are okay with sharing an apartment with each other?"

Taystee spoke up. "I think I can talk for all of us. This is a dream for all of us – to have an awesome job with awesome friends. Now you are giving us the opportunity to feel even more like real people, having a place to call our own. None of us are going to bitch at having to share space." All the women were grinning. Lorna was even brushing away a few tears that had leaked onto her cheek.

Nicky stood up. "Great! That's settled. With that, we shall bid you adieu. Moving day is tomorrow bitches. Pack up your stuff tonight and say goodbye to your hotel rooms."

* * *

Nicky, Alex, and Piper stopped at a nearby diner for a quick debrief. "That wasn't too much to throw at them at once?" Piper was worried about the well-being of the women.

"You know Pipes, I don't think so. All the puzzle pieces are now in place. There's no more question or uncertainty. We can now concentrate on foundation business and making things better for the homeless people we serve." Alex leaned over and gave her girlfriend a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"You two make me sick," Nicky cackled.

The three sat there for a bit, relaxing and visiting over coffee and a slice of lemon pound cake split three ways. When all three of their phones chirped at the same time, it was comical to see them reaching for it to see what was happening.

"Looks like the new gals have already taken advantage of the computer system. It's a new YouTube video." Alex had one of the larger screen iPhones, so they decided to view it on hers. They gathered around where they could all see as Alex pressed play.

* * *

The weathered face of older man filled this screen. His hair was damp, and he was holding a bag of clothes. Flaca's voice could be heard questioning in the background. He responded… "Having these buses mean more to us than anyone realizes. The shelters – they don't always have room – and here, all you have to do is sign up and you are guaranteed a spot. To be able to have a private place to get clean, even if it's only once a week is a luxury many of us on da streets haven't had in a long time. Thanks Cinderella."

The shot then faded to one of a younger woman. Maritza asked her, "What did you do before the buses came along?"

The women's eyes dropped to the ground. "Nothing." She seemed to nervously shuffle her feet. "I mean, there was nothing I could do. I just stayed grungy. Dirt and grime would build up on my body for weeks at a time until it was like a part of me, a part of my skin." She lifted her eyes to look in the camera. "Now I'm not being held together with filth and street crud. I'm still homeless but I feel more alive. I don't feel quite as much trash as I did before. I don't know what I would do without the Cinderella bus. Thank you."

The shot then switched to what was obviously the new office at the warehouse. Flaca and Maritza both were in the screen. Maritza spoke. "You never know how much to appreciate the little things in life, like the ability to take a shower, until it's taken away from you. The _Cinderella Foundation_ works on making the lives of homeless people better, one shower at a time. Keep up with our Foundation by clicking on the Subscribe button below."

Flaca pointed down on the screen said, "and help support our cause by going to our website and donating today. I'm Flaca…"

"And I'm Maritza, and thanks for joining us for this episode of…"

Together they said, "Tips for the Homeless!"

* * *

Alex was the first to speak. "Wow! They are good. They put that together in the time it took for us to get coffee and order cake."

Nodding her head in agreement, Nicky said, "I grossly underestimated these women. I think we are going to be a more powerful force than we thought possible. Just think Stretch, it wasn't too long ago that this started out as just a way to con my mother into letting me keep my trust fund! Look at us now."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you are so funny Nic. No more con games for me. Or you either for that matters. Straight and narrow all the way."

Nicky raised her eyebrows. "Welllllll maybe not that straight."

* * *

Alex pushed open the door to Piper's apartment and took a small step inside. Piper took off her coat and slung it onto the coat rack as she kicked off her shoes. She looked back at Alex. "Aren't you coming in?" Piper dropped onto the couch and threw her legs up on the coffee table.

"Ummm are you sure Pipes? You haven't had much alone time lately. I don't want to overstay my welcome." Alex came over and sat on the edge of the couch next to the blonde.

Piper reached over and grabbed Alex by the collar of her shirt. "I'm positive," she growled in a low tone as she pulled Alex over on top of her. "Come here." Piper pressed their lips together.

Alex rolled over to straddle Piper and deepened the kiss as she kicked off her boots. "Does this mean I can stay?" Alex murmured through the kiss.

Piper slid her hands under Alex's shirt and lifted it up and over her head. "I'm counting on it."


	22. Harvey

Taystee reached over and grabbed the television remote from the coffee table. She was surprised when none of her friends groaned when she turned off the news. "Damn, watching TV has been so depressing for the last four days."

"Yo when is that damned Harvey going to go the fuck away? That shit is half a nation away, and it's still all over the news." Poussey got up from the over-sized couch that she and Taystee had in their shared apartment. "I'm grabbing a soda. Anyone else?" After she took orders, she ventured to the kitchen to grab the drinks.

Tricia twisted off the screw cap and launched it at the flat screen. "That city is nothing but one big floating mess. This shit is so depressing. People have lost everything they fucking own because of what – a storm that won't quit?'

"Yeah, I mean we were homeless and didn't have much, but at least we were dry," Flaca chimed in. Martiza was curled up next to her on the couch, arms around her knees, nodded in agreement.

"I mean, we all lived on the streets with not much more than the clothes on our backs, hustling for change and hoping we could find a bed in a shelter before a blizzard hits. So why does this hurt so bad to watch?"

"Human nature yo." Poussey gulped down a few swallows as she motioned around the apartment. "I mean how lucky are we right now? Look at where we are. We have jobs yo, bosses that rock, and a roof over our heads. Of course, we feel bad for them. I guess they are now where we were this winter."

A tiny voice chirped up from the table. "I feel so helpless. We are good to so many of our people here. And we can't do anything for the people down on the coast of Texas." Lorna was sitting in a hard-backed chair, elbows on her knees. "I wish we could help them."

"It's not like we can drive the Cinderella buses to them. I mean, I'm sure many people need to clean up down there, but we can't abandon our own family. Our homeless peeps need us, too." Taystee was now up pacing the living room.

"Bingo!" Maritza, who had previously been quiet, jumped up, waving her phone in the air. "I've got it. Maybe this is how we help." Everyone crowded around her little phone screen to see what she was so excited about. "How about we help Houston by raising money? That's what everyone says they are needing – cash. The organizations already in place can use the funds to directly help the people affected by the flood." All the women started to move around excitedly.

Maritza continued, "From what I read on this comparison site, the best national organization to give to is the Salvation Army. Supposedly they have low overhead and 90% of donated funds reach people in need." She read a little more, "Another option is to send money directly to a food bank in Houston so they can purchase and distribute needed food and supplies. That would ensure the money stays local, and food banks typically work off volunteers."

After a lengthy discussion and vote, the team of women came up with a plan. Flaca announced, "I'll take the lead on this one since Maritza and I run social media. Let's call the bosses."

* * *

Alex looked oddly at Piper as she hung up the phone. "What's with the weird look on your face Pipes?"

"I'm not sure what we've done here." Piper seemed to be rambling. Her girlfriend raised her eyebrows, lost at to what the blonde was referring.

"Uhhh use your words Pipes."

"Hang on just a minute. Let me process this." Piper stared off for a few minutes, then shook her head to seemingly clear her thoughts. "Can we call Nicky?"

"I think she and Lorna are out tonight."

"No, Lorna is with the girls at Taystee and Poussey's apartment." Piper grabbed her iPad for its larger screen and punched the button to FaceTime Nicky. Alex moved over so her face could be in the camera as well.

"Yo bitches! Miss me? Don't we see enough of each other during the day?" Nicky took a slug of the beer she was holding.

Piper leaned forward, her face serious. "Hey Nicky, have you been watching the news lately?"

"Nope. I turned that shit off on Sunday. It's too depressing since they only thing they have been showing for the past four days is the massive flooding in Houston. Did you know that we surpassed the record rainfall in the lower 48 states with like 50 inches of rain? Damn – that's like in just a few days! So yeah, I cut that crap off."

"Well our employees didn't. I think we are raising a group of little philanthropists. I just got off the phone with Flaca." Piper continued to share the employees' plan with Alex and Nicky.

* * *

As soon as Alex had unveiled the office computer, Flaca and Maritiza had quickly set up accounts on all forms of social media for the _Cinderella Foundation_. Most of the videos and pictures taken were cross-posted to reach a broad range of people. Alex had arranged for advertising stickers to be created for each of the buses so Gus and Jaq could drum up followers as well.

When Piper called Maritiza back with foundation approval for their plan, she and Flaca were almost ready to go live. They had worked out a loose plan of action for each of the foundation workers, and everyone was excited.

Flaca backed away from the group, fiddled with a few buttons and then held up her fingers – 3, 2, 1, and pointed the camera at her face. "Hey everyone, this is the _Cinderella Foundation_ team coming live to you from Chicago! We have something a little different for you tonight." She then flipped the phone's camera to show the women scattered around the room. "I have all my bus pals with me. Say hi everyone! We are streaming live on Facebook."

Lorna clapped her hands and shouted, "How exciting… We’re like movies stars!"

Acting as director, Flaca pointed at Maritza. "For those of you who don't know us, we are a team of people who provide a special mobile shower service to the homeless of Chicago. That's something that each of us has in common;" she motioned to the group, "we used to be homeless."

Now Poussey spoke. "But tonight, it's not about the mission of the _Cinderella Foundation_ or about Chicago, it's about Houston." Flaca pointed the phone to the television where the news was on showing the endless devastation of the flooding on the Gulf coast. "As we all know, Houston has received an unprecedented amount of rain since Friday night."

Tricia continued. "Hundreds of thousands are misplaced from their homes, many with nothing but the clothes on their backs. While we don't know exactly how they feel, we can say that we've been in a similar situation."

"Being homeless is one of the most helpless feelings in the world." Lorna actually managed to calm her squeaky voice and pull off her part perfectly. "We can only imagine watching your house being swept away being equally if not more helpless. Watching the news coverage alone is heart breaking."

"If you are asking why a foundation for homeless based in Chicago is streaming a video about Houston's flooding, then listen carefully. We all need to care about our fellow humans." The group had chosen Taystee to deliver this part of their message because she was the most well-spoken. "Houston needs our help. We are asking that you donate money to our foundation through the links posted on all our social media pages. All money donated to the _Cinderella Foundation_ within the next thirty days will go directly to the Houston food banks. This will ensure that your money will stay in Houston and go directly to victims in need."

Flaca shifted her body around to the other side of her phone and said, "So this is Flaca."

Martiza joined her. "And this is Maritza."

"And we are _Cinderella Foundation_. Donate to #HarveyRelief today!"

Flaca ended the live stream and was grinning from ear to ear. "What's up Flaca? Going live get you that worked up?" Poussey teased.

"Shut up. You would be excited, too, if you had seen my side. We had 838 people watching us live and there were so many hearts going across the screen and comments that I couldn't see you guys! Let me get it finished and then into the other channels."

Maritza's phone rang. "What's up? … You did? And? … That's great! … I'll let them know. Thanks for calling." She hung up as the team looked at her expectedly. "That was Piper. She doesn't know about Nicky, but she and Alex watched our live broadcast and loved it. She said she was proud of everyone!"

* * *

Piper hung up the phone from talking to Maritza. "Our girls did good."

"Yeah they did. Think Marka is going to kill us for giving away thirty days of donations?" Alex pulled Piper in closely.

"Nope. It's for a good cause. I think she'll be proud of the girls. And, I have a meeting with her tomorrow. It seems as some of the heavy donors have been following "Flaritza" on social media and want to meet the team. She's thinking of us organizing a lower key fund raiser event with the spotlight on the girls." Piper gave Alex a soft kiss on the cheek and got up from the couch.

"Where are you headed?" Alex frowned.

Piper chuckled at the pouting brunette. "Home. I have some things I need to do."

* * *

As Piper drove home, her mind was full of thoughts which were spinning in all directions. The generosity of the women they had plucked from the streets warmed her heart. And then there was Alex who had come in and stolen her heart. She had so many things to be thankful for in her life. To be honest, she could have stayed at Alex's but was feeling overwhelmed and simply needed to be home alone.

Her flat was dark when she pulled into the driveway signaling that Polly was not home. Hopefully this meant that she was out for the evening. Piper unlocked the door and made a beeline for the wine rack. She worked the cork out of a bottle of red, poured herself a full glass and retreated to her bedroom where she sat on the floor a bit with her legs crossed, leaning against her bed. She drained one glass of wine and poured herself another.

Piper retrieved a ratty knapsack she stored under her bed. Polly had made her wash and disinfect it several times when she had returned from her time on the streets as a condition of Piper being able to keep it. Piper felt an odd special connection with the bag that had held all her worldly belongings for the short time she spent braving Chicago's winter without a home.

Reaching in, she withdrew several Moleskin journals. There was an elastic closure that wrapped around lengthwise. Piper had also secured the widths with rubber bands. These journals held her research notes from her street stay and allowed her to complete her master's thesis. So much had happened to her while she was "homeless", and she would have never been able to recall everything without the notes she had written.

Not everything written into the journals made it into her thesis. Piper perused through some of the journals then finally picked up the one she knew she was looking for. The specific entry was marked with the journal's thin ribbon bookmark. Piper re-read through that entry for what must have been the hundredth time.

_I ran into Alex again. Rather, she found me in the park. I don't know how that happened. But one thing I know is that Alex is stunning. She has a sort of unpretentious look, perhaps it was because she seems to be so disarmingly unaware of her beauty. Her pale skin is completely flawless. She didn't have on make up today and I doubt she even uses expensive facial products. That doesn't seem like Alex's style. I think her skin glows from her inner beauty trying to escape._

_She seems to be all about simplicity, making things easy, helping those around her to relax. I can only imagine knowing Alex in a different life, at a different time. I can imagine her smile and laugh. I bet you wouldn't be able to help but to join her laughter. To be in her company would be to feel that you too were someone, that you had been warmed in summer rays regardless of the season._

After just their second chance encounter, Piper's own written word expressed how she was feeling even to this day. She glanced at her nightstand, reached over and picked up the framed sketches Alex had recently given her. The words she had written and the sketches Alex had drawn had been done within twelve hours of each other. They say each person has a soulmate just waiting to be discovered. Piper and Alex were inevitable for each other.

Piper carefully replaced the other journals back into the knapsack and slipped it under her bed. She slid the one she kept out safely into her purse. Kicking off her shoes, she moved to her desk. Scrounging around in her drawer, she found some nice stationery and her favorite pen.

* * *

The next morning, Alex went to retrieve her morning paper from right outside her front door while the coffee brewed. A cream-colored envelope laying on the floor caught her eye. Apparently, it had been shoved through the mail slot while she slept. She got picked it up, grabbed the paper from her doorstep and tossed them on the table. Coffee always came first!

As she sat, she flipped the envelope over and recognized Piper's handwriting. She gently opened the flap and slid the folded paper out. There were a few pages of a hand-written letter along with some photocopies of something else. The letter had been folded on top, so she began to read.

_Dear Alex,_

_First and foremost, let me say thank you for being a part of my life. You mean the world to me and my life is much better with you in it. I know that we started off in a rough patch which was totally my fault. I am so glad that you were able to understand my reasoning for doing what I did and that you, and I are where we are today with each other._

_When you gave me your drawings the other day, I was extremely touched. Your thoughtful gesture is so precious. You see that gift solidified to me that we were always meant to be. As you know, I kept a journal throughout my journey of living on the streets. I've made you a copy of my journal entry which I wrote the evening before you put pencil to paper for those sketches. I think I will let the words that came from my pen that night speak for me._

_I love you,_

_Piper_

Alex flipped to the copies of Piper's journal and continued to read. As she finished, she gently folded the pages and slipped them back into their envelope. Her eyes began to glisten as a single tear dropped to her name which was written on the front, slightly smearing the letters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was obviously written around this time last year when the Texas coast was battling Harvey.
> 
> I always struggle with donating money because I never know if my money will actually help. Many national organizations have such high overhead that little of it trickles down to who needs it, and smaller organizations are often not run very well. But I have learned that food banks can take a dollar and stretch it very far with bulk purchases of goods. And they stock what is needed at the time. So think toiletries, cleaning supplies, diapers, formula... more than just food.


	23. Cinderella Ball

"The board wants us to do what?" Nicky spun around and around in the office chair behind the desk at the _Cinderella Foundation_ office.

Piper placed her hands firmly on the back of the leather chair to stop the motion. "They want another fund-raiser. WITH all our girls. Many of the high-profile contributors have been following our social media pages and have developed a liking for our employees. Marka calls the girls the 'face of the company'." Piper made quotation marks with her fingers.

Alex straddled the other office chair backwards and was fiddling with various things on the desk. "If that's what the board wants, then it's probably a good idea if we comply."

Nicky rolled her eyes. "Do you really think our gals have appropriate clothing for such an affair?" Nicky made different motions with her hands.

"Marka has put up money to arrange make-overs." Piper walked over and placed her hands on Nicky’s shoulders, pressing her into her chair. "I think they would enjoy that. Get someone to donate some dresses or purchase them ourselves then donate them to Operation Prom or something like that after the event."

Nicky struggled against Piper's hands holding the back of the chair until she was able to again spin freely. "I suppose this means I have to dress up again. Damn it. My mom is finally getting her way!"

Alex shoved her best friend's head. "Get over Nichols. Remember, your girl gets made over, too."

* * *

"OMG! A make over?" Everyone clapped their hands over their ears as Lorna squealed in delight. "I mean, we are going to be able to go and pick out our own dresses and shoes and wear super fancy make up and be all pretty." Now Lorna was just rambling with her excitement.

"I can't believe people actually want to meet us." Secretly Flaca had been quite proud of the work she and Maritza had been doing but was amazed that the donors had noticed.

"Yo boss," Poussey approached Alex. "I, ummmm, …"

Alex chuckled. "You don't want to wear a ball dress slick? Come on, show off those sexy legs."

"Yeah, no thanks. Hard pass. Do I have to go boss?" Poussey looked quite uncomfortable with the entire deal as she hung her head and looked at Alex sideways.

Alex took a sip of her coffee. "Yup. Everyone has to go, but you know, I think the ball gowns are a little overkill myself. Why don't you wear what you find comfortable that's a little upscale, sharp? Does that work for you? Nicky wore a tux to the last gala."

Poussey grinned and nodded. "I'm going to look dope! I promise you!"

Taystee sidled up to Alex and Poussey. The sheepish look on her face let Alex know that she was afraid to ask whatever needed to be asked. "Spit it out Taystee. You should know me enough by now that I won't snap your head off."

"Ummm you know that we," she motioned between herself and Poussey, "can't go to the same make over place they go," she motioned to the other girls.

Alex wisely kept her tongue and didn't give the knee-jerk reaction that almost slipped out. "Okaaaaaay." Then the realization of what Taystee was bringing up hit her. "I hope you two will accept my apologies. I didn't even think of the differences in needs here."

"Yeah, particularly with hair." Taystee's bravado was returning.

"Tell you what. Find a suitable place – upscale – and you can make your appointments there."

Taystee hopped up and down. "Thanks boss. You are the best."

* * *

Piper slipped into the side door of the 32nd street shelter and quietly snuck to Red's office. She fondly watched her red-haired mentor work through the numbers for her shelter. As she knocked softly, Red hastily spun around her chair to face the intruder. Upon seeing Piper, a broad smile spread across her face. "Why hello my prodigal child. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Piper approached Red and enveloped her in an all-encompassing hug. "Can't I just come by because I miss you Red?"

Red rolled her eyes. "You may, but you didn't. What do you want Piper?"

The blonde grinned. "We are having another fund raiser, one that's a little more laid back. Some of the foundation's key supporters want to meet our workers. I would like to honor you as well and give you a chance to see how far our girls have come."

"Oh Piper. I see them every week. You park that monstrosity of a bus in front of my shelter every Monday and draw crowds. Why do I want to give up a Saturday night to see them again?" While Red's tone of voice was definitely teasing, it was obvious that she was touched by Piper's invitation.

"There's a make-over in it for you and a new dress courtesy of the _Cinderella Foundation_ waiting for you." Piper teased back.

"Well, you should have said so to begin with. I would love to join your soiree."

* * *

Meanwhile at the 65th street shelter, Nicky was having a similar conversation with Justin. "Alex, all the honorees will be all fru fru and wearing dresses. And then there will be me." He was mock pouting yet equally as proud as Red that the foundation was including him in the honor.

"At least one of our workers won't be in a dress. I think you will look quite dapper dressed up in a tux, Justin. Plus, most of our major donors are men. How can you resist a spa treatment and a new fancy, schmancy outfit?"

Justin blushed as he ducked his head down. "Okay Nicky, count me in. Thanks for thinking of me."

* * *

As Poussey had expressed her concern about the formal dress event, Alex had suggested that she accompany Nicky and herself to a tailor and pick out a formal tuxedo for the event. Nicky thought this was a great idea as she wasn't too keen on wearing a dress either. Eventually she cajoled Alex enough to convince the dark-haired woman that she would be as sexy in a tuxedo as in a dress.

The tailor selected to work with the ladies did an impeccable job at selecting suits for their differing body styles. Alex sported a double-breasted tuxedo with broad shoulders. The tailor had taken special care to ensure that her trouser legs and jacket arms were long enough to match her long, slim legs. Because of Nicky's shorter and stockier stature, the tailor chose a classic one-button single-breasted jacket and a shawl collar.

When a nervous Poussey finally stepped out of the dressing area, Nicky gave out a low wolf whistle. "Daaaaaaamn girl. You look hot." Alex grinned and nodded.

Poussey had stepped out in a traditional black tuxedo jacket with three-buttons with a low-button stance which elongated her body. Her classic black tuxedo trousers were fitted precisely to her short frame. Her straight-end tie and cummerbund were both dark red. The black balmoral oxford dress shoes she chose were crafted from highly-polished calfskin and allowed her dark red socks to peek out to complete her ensemble.

"I can't believe I am actually wearing this bosses. I mean it wasn't but a few months ago, that I was on the streets." Poussey dropped her chin to her chest, fighting tears. "The struggle is real gals. Thanks for this opportunity."

Across town, Piper and Marka were with the remaining workers having an equally incredible time helping the girls select dresses for the women who had chosen.

* * *

Back at the bus barn, after all of the girls had oooh'd and awwwe'd over their friends, they loaded up one of the Jaq to travel to the event. Some of the donors had yet to see an actual example of how funding was being spent. As well, this ensured that everyone had a ride to the ball and back home safely.

As Taystee parked the bus outside the venue, Alex let them know that the event was already in progress. Marka would gather the attendees' attention and then introduce each woman individually.

"So we are like debutantes?" Lorna was still over the moon.

Alex chuckled. "Something like that. There will be alcohol at the event. Each of you have come so far in your progress as a part of our team. We trust your judgement on if you choose to drink and if so, how much. Please keep in mind that you do not have to drink. As long as you keep your wits about you, we will all be good."

"Enough with the speeches Al; let's go." Piper excitedly pulled Alex off the bus so that the women could disembark and go inside.

* * *

Everyone was obviously quite nervous throughout the introductions. Having grown up going to events such as this, Nicky had spent some time letting them know what to expect and how to act if they were ever in question. Soon, the women loosened up and were enjoying the attention they were getting from the donors who were mostly crusty old men, albeit rich crusty old men!

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, donors and employees alike. Some of Flaca and Maritza's YouTube videos were looping on one of the larger screens. Maritza abruptly pulled Flaca aside and began excitedly chattering in her ear. Flaca patted her clutch and nodded her head. Then the two raced off to find Piper and Alex.

A few minutes later, the YouTube videos which had been looping stopped and the Foundation's Facebook page popped up. Piper turned up the volume just a small bit to not interrupt conversation but to slowly get people's attention.

"Hey folks out there in Facebook land. I'm Flaca." Flaca had the phone facing both hers and Martiza's faces as they stood near the front stage.

"And I'm Maritza. You are familiar with us from our 'Tips for the Homeless' series on YouTube. Tonight, we are coming to you live from the Cinderella Ball, a fundraiser for our foundation."

Flaca took one step up the stage and flipped the camera around to pan the crowd. "See these people? They all came out to honor the work we do and to raise money so that the _Cinderella Foundation_ can continue to help the homeless in Chicago."

The duo had talked to Taystee and Poussey beforehand so pointed the phone towards them for a quick performance.

"My, my, my Mackensie. A tuxedo? I do declare you are looking quite polished tonight. Such an elegant tuxedo and attending such a fancy soiree."

"Why thank you Amanda. I must say that your gown is exquisite and you are quite the site at this lavish event."

"Thank you Mackensie. I do declare that fund raisers always make my mouth a little parched." Taystee made motions like she was trying to whet her lips.

Poussey snagged two martinis off of a passing tray and passed one to Taystee. "Try this to whet your whistle Miss Amanda."

Taystee took a small sip and daintily dabbed her lips with a napkin. "I do declare that was exactly what I needed. Now let's go see who we need to make our check payable to tonight." The small crowd who had started watching laughed.

Flaca stepped down and walked towards one donor whose attention had been caught by the Facebook Live event. "Mr. Fuller, why have you come to this event tonight?"

He straightened up, not quite sure what to do with the drink in his hand, and answered, "Because I believe in what you girls are out there doing every week." He looked up on the screen and then said, "Is that me up there? I'm in one of your videos?"

Maritza laughed. "Not yet. This is live on Facebook. But it will be on YouTube soon. Wave at the camera, Mr. Fuller." Mr. Fuller sheepishly waved.

By now more of the donors realized what was going on. Many of them had pulled out their phones and had joined the Facebook event. The pair walked around the room, stopping periodically to ask a donor a question. Each of them seemed to be giddy to be involved in the broadcast.

Flaca took time to ensure that each of the workers was given time on camera to show off their sleek new look and fancy clothes. Comments were rolling in so quickly that Maritza barely had time to verbally thank and respond to the commenters by name.

Eventually the duo landed their camera on Marka who almost seemed camera shy. "Marka, this question comes from one of the viewers. CharlieTheTuna asks, "what plans are there for the _Cinderella Foundation_ to expand within Chicago and to other cities?"

After taking a few moments to gather her thoughts, Marka responded. "Expansion depends on several factors – first is the ability to duplicate services with different personnel and the second is funding. So, if you want to see expansion of our programs, both within Chicago and elsewhere, the best thing you can do is to donate. Donate money and your time. Both are always needed within the homeless community."

Because she had been live for so long, Flaca's phone battery was almost out. She motioned to Maritza that it was time for them to wrap it up. They ended the live broadcast as they do the YouTube videos, together. "This is Flaca."

"And this is Maritiza."

"Thanks for watching the Cinderella Ball Live event."

Flaca wrapped up by ending the video. Not too long after hearing the "ping" of the completed broadcast, her phone announced 10% battery life was left. "Just in time."

The women were swarmed with their co-workers, jostling them in congratulations. Then a clapping started in the middle of the crowd. Soon the entire crowd was applauding their efforts. While the Facebook Live had been spontaneous, it had been a success – for both the viewers as well as the donors who got to be a part of the show.

Nicky stood next to her mom watching the girls glowing in the aftermath of their success. "So Marka, are you thinking expansion?"

"I don't count it out Nicky." She turned to look at her daughter. "Didn't you just get involved into this to save your trust fund?"

Nicky blushed. "Yeah, well, I kind of like it now. I see why you have always been into philanthropy. Life has so much more meaning when you are making a difference."

Marka's eyebrows darted up with her daughter's words. "I guess you aren't a lost cause after all."


	24. Pain

The Cinderella Ball fundraiser event coupled with the donations which came in during Facebook Live video which ran during the gala far surpassed expectations of than even Marka expected. Both Justin and Red reported that they had seen an increase of persons coming to the shelter to volunteer time as well as donations. The hopes were that the _Cinderella Foundation_ could stay in the social media spotlight long enough to allow people to form habits and not _just_ volunteer for a short period of time then fall off the band wagon, per se.

Over the next several weeks, a few more women were hired, and operations seemed to fall into a smooth routine. Another bus was donated to use as a rotation vehicle for maintenance. Each of the workers filled their respective role perfectly, and the _Cinderella Foundation_ was running like clockwork.

* * *

Piper closed her laptop and pushed away from the desk. Looking out her hotel window over the city, she looked past all the buildings the tourists were busily taking pictures of, past all the attractions children were clamoring to visit, past all of the businesses smartly dressed men and women were flowing in and out of. She watched the alleys, saw the people crouched behind dumpsters and huddled in doorways. She saw the masses beneath the bridges, and the individuals randomly pushing carts aimlessly around the city.

New York City: The Big Apple, the City that Never Sleeps, The Melting Pot – while the city was only about 30% larger than Chicago in land size, there are easily triple the number of persons on New York City. The population of Brooklyn alone is nearing that of Chicago. The Foundation only ran two buses in Chicago. Was she a fool for thinking she could expand into a city the size of New York City?

Expanding further into Chicago seemed simple. Piper had run the numbers and laid out a solid plan. She knew Chicago. but in order to feel successful, Piper felt she had to do more. Her plans needed to be scalable. Piper reached forward to the desk to retrieve the proposal dossier she was about to present to the urban development committee for the five boroughs.

Could the Foundation even begin to support an operation of this size? Five boroughs, each probably needing the same support as Chicago. Piper had laid out some of the options to Alex before she had left for this meeting. While Alex did not openly protest, Piper could tell how her dark-haired lover withdrew emotionally at the idea of Piper relocating to manage New York City operations. A pain crept into Piper's chest as she recalled Alex disappearing as well, not even showing up to take her to the airport.

Piper crawled into the window seat as she continued to gaze out upon the city. She wrapped her arms around her bended knees and buried her head in the crook of one elbow. Self-doubt crept in, crept in despite her years of urban development studies, the time she spent on the streets of Chicago, the success of the bus program. How could she have so many accomplishments yet feel so empty? How could she balance fulfilling her life's dream with the woman she loved so deeply?

* * *

Nicky found Alex perched on peering out the front window of the bar, several empty beer bottles scattered about her. "How did I know I'd find you here?" Alex didn't respond, just stared blankly. "Stay here, I'll grab the brewskies."

Soon, the best friend with the wild hair returned with a couple of beers and shots to go with them. She pushed Alex's in front of her. "Here's to trust funds and good times. Salud!" The friends clinked shot glasses and downed the burning tequila.

"Damn Nicky. Fuck. Why do you always get the cheap shit?" Alex sputtered. "You are loaded. Can't you at least afford better booze?" Alex quickly chased the nasty shot with half her beer.

"Love me, love my drink. Besides if you don't like what I pick out, buy it yourself."

For the first time in a while, Alex chuckled. "Am I destined to play that night over and over?"

Nicky turned around and leaned her back against the bar. "I thought that's why you were here in the first place." She spun back around. "Isn't this where blondie first crawled into your brain?"

Alex motioned with her head towards the nook where Piper had been huddled that cold, fateful night. "Yeah I suppose you are right."

"Talk to me Stretch. What has you so blue? I mean, the Foundation is running great. You got the girl. What more can you ask for?"

Alex drained the beer and retrieved another round of beer and shots from the bartender. She scoffed as she slid Nicky's drinks over. "Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows Nic."

They clinked shot glasses and up-ended the shot of much smoother top-shelf tequila. "Where is Blondie? I haven't seen her in a few days. I wanted to see if you two wanted to double with me and Lorna."

"New York City – she has a meeting with the urban development center there about expanding the program."

Nicky threw a handful of peanuts into the air, trying to catch them in her mouth but missing more than she caught. "That's cool. I mean, the more exposure – the better, right?"

Alex shook her head. "Naw, not cool Nic. NYC is too big. The program cannot operate on its own, not by a long shot. Piper wants to run the program, make it scaleable. And the only way she can do that is by moving there."

The silence between the two friends was palpable. "Wow," was Nicky's only response. The copper blonde jumped off the bar stool and headed to the bartender. This time she returned with an entire bottle of tequila. "I figured this calls for more substience." After pouring them both shots which were quickly downed, Nicky spoke again. "I wasn't expecting that bud. I've kinda gotten used to having my best friend in the same city. It'll be strange not having you around to bail me out of trouble, but I know she makes you happy."

Nicky poured another pair of shots. "To love." After downing her own shot, she turned to Alex who was simply sitting staring at the full shot-glass. "Ummm what's the problem Stretch."

"I'm not moving to New York City Nicky. My home is Chicago. I live  _here._  I grew up _here_. You are _here_." Alex tossed back the shot. "Besides, she didn't ask me. She kind of just told me in passing as she packed her suitcase."

The rest of the night centered mostly around the two best friends alternating pouring shots until the bottle was empty. But no matter how intoxicated Alex became, the alcohol could not numb the pain in her chest. Her heart was literally shattering into dozens of pieces.

* * *

When Maritza had successfully linked the Foundation's social media accounts, the number of likes, follows, and subscriptions and increased exponentially. Nicky had calculated that approximately 35% of their revenue came from social media sources whether it was one-time donations or repeating bequests.

Maritza and Flaca had been able to keep up with their weekly videos, each as entertaining as the last. The messages had also gone a long way in educating the public about homelessness.

"So, when you are strolling along the tree-lined walkways of Lincoln Park with your bae enjoying a night on the town or enjoying the free-admission Lincoln Park Zoo, don't forget that right around the corner is the Lincoln Park Community Shelter. They provide educational services, temporary housing, and transitional services." Flaca walked across the front of the shelter as Maritza followed her with the camera before turning it on herself.

"Search out the shelter in your local area. Find out what they need. It doesn't take much to make a difference. I'm Maritza."

Then both women's heads appeared in the shot. "And I'm Flaca."

The second said, "And I'm Maritza, and thanks for joining us for this episode of…"

"Tips for the Homeless!" They shouted together, gave their traditional hair toss and giggle before ending the video.

* * *

Piper returned to the hotel room desk and picked up the hinged picture frame sitting on the corner. She never went anywhere without the two sketches gifted to her by Alex. Warmth vs cold. Alex's overcoat draped over the chair in the diner with her beanie and scarf piled on the table. Piper remembered well that overcoat – thick, woolen and almost impenetrable by the cold. The other sketch was one of herself, sitting on a park benching battling the harsh Chicago wind before the big blizzard.

Tears began to slip down Piper's cheeks as she remembered Alex's words the night she had given Piper the drawings.

_After the day I saw you in the park, I went back to the café in hopes of seeing you. I was trying to come up with ideas to rescue Nicky from herself. The juxtaposition of a miserable cold human with clothing that allowed me to stay comfortably warm is what sparked my ideas which led me to getting to know you._

_As I've gotten to know you, my emotions have leveled out. I realize the utterly amazing person you are – kind, caring, and giving. You are the most selfless person I know. I cherish you above anything else in my life, Pipes._

Piper wiped the tears from her face as her scattered thoughts overtook her mind. She was torn between Alex and her lifelong dream. As much as she loved the possibilities of her job, her heart told her that she loved Alex more.

* * *

Alex struggled to keep her eyes open as the sun was incredibly bright this morning. Scrunching her face to shield her eyes, she made her way to the bathroom and scrambled in the closet for a bottle of aspirin. She managed to open the top and shake out four ibuprofens. Washing them down with a glass of water, she drained another glass then splashed water on her face.

Stumbling into the kitchen, she pressed the brew button on her coffee, thankful that Piper had gotten her into the habit of preparing the pot the day before. While she sat on the counter, waiting for the elixir to brew. Alex thought about her conversation with Nicky the night before. Was she really going to give up Piper simply on principal?

Soon the coffee was brewed, and her cup was filled, Alex moved to the table. She saw the cream envelope that had been laying there for the past few weeks. Alex had read the letter several times. She carefully withdrew and unfolded the journal entry Piper had copied for her.

_She seems to be all about simplicity, making things easy, helping those around her to relax. I can only imagine knowing Alex in a different life, at a different time. I can imagine her smile and laugh. I bet you wouldn't be able to help but to join her laughter. To be in her company would be to feel that you too were someone, that you had been warmed in summer rays regardless of the season._

A different life, a different time. These words only made Alex laugh. Things certainly weren't simple now. But they should be. How could something that should be so simple turn into something that was so complex?

Did Piper just assume that Alex would pick up and move to New York? Alex's entire life had always been in Chicago. She had never lived outside of the city proper. Was it something that was not even worth discussion?

Alex folded the cream paper and slipped the pages back into the envelope. After draining her coffee, she stood and walked to her bookshelf. She slipped the envelope between two books and went to refill her coffee cup.

The only way to ease the ache in her chest was to just block it from her mind. Alex metaphorically reached into her chest and turned off the pain.


	25. It's Cold as Heck Out There

Alex's body twisted and turned as the sheets wrapped around her legs, binding her limbs in the bedding. The pounding of her heart yanked her out of a dead sleep as she glanced frantically about the room. Nervous sweat poured from her forehead as she tried to untangle herself from the sheet jungle that had taken over the body. She could only see snippets of the dream that had woke her up from a deep sleep, but she knew it had been enough to cause her heart to pound.

The bedcovers eventually let loose as Alex was ejected onto the floor. She lay there trying to catch her breath as she tried to determine why she woke up, to remember more of the dream. Then she heard the wind whistling through the gaps in her window sills. Pulling herself off the floor, she wrapped a quilt around her shoulders and made her way to the glass panes which overlooked the street.

The infamous Chicago wind was blowing the snow flurries around the pavement and sidewalks in front of her apartment, slowing occasionally to allow the white precipitation to accumulate in drifts. Alex poured herself a cup of yesterday's coffee and warmed it in the microwave. She settled on the couch and flipped on the television, turning to the weather channel so she could determine what to expect the next few days and weeks for the buses.

"The big news for this morning is that what meteorologists have been calling the 'bomb-cyclone' has hit the east coast. Frigid temperatures, some that could feel as cold as minus 30 degrees, moved across the East Coast as the region attempted to clean up from a massive winter storm that brought more than a foot of snow, hurricane-force winds and coastal flooding. Forecasters predict strong winds and record-breaking cold air will sweep the region, from the mid-Atlantic to New England, and hang around through the weekend."

Alex went still in her chair, eyes glued on the news station. "Airports are expected to be closed until early next week along with most major freeways, subways and trains. It will be a while before we dig ourselves out of this one."

Phone in hand, Alex paced as she repeatedly dialed and re-dialed Piper's number which consistently went straight to voicemail. FaceTime was not successful in connecting either.

"FUCK!" Alex swore out loud. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Her mind was twisting and turning in fifty directions at once. She threw herself back on the couch, burying her head in her hands. Her mind went back to a winter just last year. All she could do was envision a dirty, shabby homeless woman who was going to be swallowed in the first huge blizzard of last snow season in Chicago. That woman was now the love of her life.

Alex was frantic not being able to get in touch with Piper. She tried Piper a few more times before giving in to the knowledge that communications were grossly overtaxed in that area. Alex flipped over to a local news channel in hopes of finding a forecast for Chicago. While it was not as grim as what was happening on the east coast, it was still going to be damned cold.

Once her mind processed all the bits and pieces of information running through it, she knew what their community needed. Something akin to what she had done last year when searching for Piper, albeit more organized. Alex made a command decision and sent out a group text to Nicky and the girls –  _Buses won't be running showers for a few days. Team meeting at the apartment in one hour. I'm bringing tacos._

* * *

When Alex arrived at Taystee and Poussey's apartment, the full team was there – weary eyed but there. Alex dumped a few bags of breakfast tacos out on the table. Everyone clamored for their favorites. Nicky disappeared into the kitchen and returned with orange juice, water, and sodas.

Everyone enjoyed the meal while Alex laid out the plan for the upcoming freeze days. "Tricia, I know that the showers provide a much-needed service to our target population." Alex tried to mask the frustration she felt as she tried to get her point across.

"Look Trish, do you remember the night we first met last year, under the bridge? I was looking for Piper the night of that big blizzard."

Tricia crossed her arms and threw herself back in her chair. "Yeah? So?"

Alex closed her eyes while choosing her words. "What was I doing? Other than looking for Piper?"

"You were handing out stuff. I got some thermals, socks, and some other stuff. You hooked me up." Tricia paused as her own words sank in. "I guess you saved me that night boss. I see your point."

By this time, everyone around the table understood what Alex was saying. Each of them had spent cold nights on the streets and knew how absolutely horrid it was – dangerous as well.

Alex handed out the quickly made plan she had devised earlier. "Nicky, you and Lorna are going to hit up all these outdoor and sporting goods stores. I want you to buy up all the socks you find. Preferably those thick full calf socks, but the thinner socks will work as well. Also look for those metallic survival blankets. While you are in the camping section, see if they have any of those weird pop-up cardboard structures. I don't want to get tents, but I saw some coffin-like things that hikers can put their sleeping bags in for emergency situations. Non-flammable hand warmers and thermals, of course."

"Got it boss." Nicky slung her arm over Lorna's shoulder. "Let's go babe."

"Oh and pick up as many of those disposable plastic bags you can get your hands on… and newspaper. All of you. Don't worry about buying too much. It can always be put to good use."

"Taystee, Poussey… take the company van. The seats should be pulled out. I've mapped out all the area Army/Navy surplus stores. Like I told Nic, buy them out. Jackets, wool socks, wool blankets, pants, long sleeve shirts, t-shirts, anything in any size. Swoop up their duffel bags, too."

Alex looked Taystee in the eye as she pressed a wad of cash into her hand. "Not all the surplus stores will trust a credit card they think may be stolen. Sorry, but cash will always talk. Make sure you take business cards and introduce yourselves before you start raiding their stock."

Poussey rolled her eyes with the comments about the credit card but nodded in agreement.

"On it boss, let's go Amanda – we are on a mission."

Alex turned to the new-hires. "Newbies you are with me. We are going grocery shopping. But first – my fabulous social media gurus. Here are some examples of somethings I found on a website. I'd like for you to design instructions for our customers – both written and drawn – on the best way to use the things we are going to give them in the duffels. Here's a list of what I want to put in the bags. Show them how to layer their clothes and to plastic bags over their socks to keep their feet dry. Everything. Me and the new girls here are going food shopping. Cheese, canned beans, fatty soups like cream of mushroom, water, trail mix, etc. So, expressing the importance of going to sleep with their tummies full is important as is staying hydrated. It's all right there in what I printed off the internet."

"Include the usual _Cinderella Foundation_ information as well as addresses and mini-maps to all of the regular and cold-weather shelters. Then send it to the print shop. I'll let you know when I'm heading back to make sure it's done. I'll pick them up so nobody else has to get out. As everyone else makes their way back, start an assembly line to stuff duffels."

Alex motioned the new girls towards the door and to her car. Flaca grabbed her by the arm. "Hey Al, boss lady. You okay? Where's Piper?"

Alex stiffened and turned back to Flaca and placed her hand over the woman's. "She's in New York… in that bomb-cyclone freak east coast storm."

Flaca gasped lightly. "Oh shit Alex; have you talked to her? Is she okay?" Alex sadly shook her head. "I'm sure you will hear from her soon. She'll make it through just fine. She's a street rat, just like us."

"Thanks Flaca. Hey – and could you call the shelters on our regular routes and let them know that we won't be doing showers but will be delivering cold-weather supplies instead. Anyone on the shower list is guaranteed a bag. But we will also be hitting the streets, bridges, and tunnels. I appreciate you girls."

With this, Alex turned and lead the new recruits to her car

* * *

Piper resisted the urge to throw her phone against the wall. She'd been trying to get in touch with Alex since last night. No calls were going through. The internet was down, too, so she couldn't Facetime or even send an e-mail to let her girlfriend know she was okay.

Frustrated, Piper sank into the overstuffed chair by the window of her hotel room. Outside was near white-out conditions as the wind whipped and whistled outside the windows of her 35th floor suite. Of course, the urban development center meeting had been postponed. That's about the only thing that had gone right for Piper the past few days.

Guilt had been ripping at her gut for the way she had left things with Alex. Announcing to Alex that she was going to potentially move to New York to expand operations with the _Cinderella Foundation_ must have come as a shock to her girlfriend. Piper could kick herself for not even having a conversation about it. She just assumed Alex would come with her. But the look on Alex's face when Piper told of her of the opportunity told Piper all she needed to know. Alex was not about to leave Chicago, at least not anytime soon.

As Piper waited for her laptop to boot, she re-read the proposal and began to make notes in the margin of her copy. Ideas began rolling through her mind and soon she was furiously editing not only the hard copy but also the soft copy of the document on her computer.

A few hours later, she again pushed away from her desk. She needed a break, to get out of the hotel room even if only for a small time. Trying her luck, Piper headed down to the lobby to see if one of the hotel's three restaurants was open. With luck, she was able to find somewhere to eat without venturing out into the blizzard.

Stranded tourists and business persons alike were lounging in the lobby and restaurants, each with their own level of anxiousness about the storm coupled with boredom of not having anything to do and not knowing how long they would be trapped.

Piper finished her meal, wandered around a bit then went back to her room. She tried calling Alex again, but the phone lines were still jammed and the internet still inoperable. Luckily, she had downloaded some episodes of  _The Originals_  from Netflix onto her iPad. With any luck, the internet would be back up before she ran out of shows to watch.

* * *

Eventually the full team was assembled back at the apartments. When Alex came this time, she was bearing deli trays of veggies and sandwiches. Any good boss knows the best way to get a crew to work is to keep them well-fed. Even Taystee didn't complain when her and Poussey's living room got turned into a huge warehouse of clothes and supplies.

The organization of the group was flawless. Each set of duffels was laid out then women each grabbed their items and made sure there was a correct stack of stuff laid in front of the bag before the food, water and instructions went in last. As each round of bags got stuffed, a different pair of women volunteered to brave the cold and stack them in the back of the cargo van.

It wasn't long before the van was stuffed to the gills. The assembly line continued until there was no room left in the apartment. Everyone seemed to still have gas left in their proverbial tanks, so Alex and Nicky took the van to the warehouse and stored those duffels in the warehouse space to make room for another set of duffels in the van. Eventually the supplies grew thin and the woman stopped their task but not before there were enough bags to fill the van three and a half times over.

Everyone was getting weary at this point and it was supposed to be dark soon. Alex agreed to take one load of bags around to their regular shelters to distribute to the people who were on the original shower lists for the week. Then the group agreed to start out early in the day to come up with a plan for the rest.

"Hey Nic," Alex nodded her head at her best friend. "Want to join me? I could use the company. We can come back later and grab our cars."

Nicky could tell that her best friend was still pretty down about the whole Piper thing, so agreed to join Alex to keep her company.

* * *

After a few mindless episodes of vampire drama, Piper decided to proof-read her revised proposal for expansion of the _Cinderella Foundation_. She desperately wanted to run it by Marka but knew Nicky's mom would just smile and tell her to do what she felt was best – best of herself and for the Foundation.

After making a few minor changes, she decided that the proposal was as good as it was going to get. She saved the changes and took a long, hot bubble bath. Since there was no telling how long she was going to be trapped in this forsaken blizzard, she might as well enjoy the hotel.


	26. Plans and Secrets

Something woke Alex from her dead sleep. An insistent sound and light finally broke through the soon-to-be-forgotten dream. She fumbled around the covers and eventually located her phone shoved under the pillow. A wide grin spread across her face when she saw Piper's face on the screen. Quickly swiping to answer, she was actually at a loss for words as she just stared at her girlfriend's face.

After a few moments of mutual admiration, Piper broke the silence. "Hey." Piper's smile matched Alex's.

"Hey yourself. How are you?" Alex's smirk became lopsided. "I've been worried about you."

"Little old me? Pshaw, this storm ain't shit. I rode out worse than this in a homeless shelter."

Again, neither woman talked and let the silence rest easy between them.

Alex spoke first. "How did the meeting go?"

"Haven't had it yet. I've made some phone calls and because of the weather, I convinced the board to make their way down to my hotel and meet here. It seems that this is more of a central location for most of board members. We are meeting at two."

Alex tried to keep a show of enthusiasm, albeit fake eagerness, on her face. She didn't want to ruin this for her girlfriend, so she shifted the conversation to a safer subject. "When are you going to be able to get home?"

"I got an auto call from the airline. They rebooked me for tomorrow night. I'm not even going to try to get an earlier flight. The hassle doesn't seem worth it. But enough about me Al. What's going on there? How are the shower buses? The girls?"

Alex had already decided to not be totally forthcoming with her girlfriend. Piper needed to concentrate on her New York City deal and getting home safely. If she was truly interested, she could check social media. "Oh, things are going smoothly here. Because of the temperatures, the city asked us to reduce usage of the hydrants during the cold snap so we are going to be distributing supplies instead."

She paused. "Yeah, I have it under control. I'll keep you posted." She glanced at the time on the phone. "In fact, I need to shower and get over to the warehouse. Weather allowing, we will start showers up again in a few days."

Piper kissed her fingers and pressed them to the phone. "I miss you Al."

Alex grinned and returned the gesture. "Ditto Pipes. Love you. See you soon."

"Love you back."

* * *

Piper ended the phone call and cradled the phone against her chest. "You are a spineless creature Piper Chapman." Piper berated herself for not talking to Alex about the changes she had made in her expansion proposal. Perhaps she feared the changes were a bad idea or that Alex would laugh at her.

But in her heart of hearts, Piper knew it was the best decision. Happy that she had finally gotten a call through to Alex, she put in a call for room service for breakfast then went to take a long, hot shower.

* * *

When she arrived at the warehouse, Alex was pleased to see that all the girls were there, and the van had been loaded to the brim with bags. On her way over, Alex had stopped at a car rental location and leased a second cargo van for the day. Soon it was quickly loaded with the remainder of the bags, and the women were discussing distribution strategy.

"I want three experienced and one new girl in each van. I don't expect that we will need this many, but I would rather be safe with crowd control. Have you discussed how this is going to work?"

Tricia spoke for the group. "Yeah Stretch. We've lived these streets and each of us left behind friends… people who we know are still living in the cold, unwilling to go to shelters for various reasons. We have divided up the bags, and each girl gets a count. She decides where to go and who to give the bags to. Nobody knows the streets better than us yo. We can tell the hustlers from the ones who will really need the help. That okay Stretch?"

Alex's chest was swelling with pride at how far the team had come and how much they had grown. "Yeah. Perfect. Maritza, I hope you can get some good footage and maybe an interview or two."

"We're on it. If we can find some of the peeps we will be looking for, there will even be a chance to go Facebook Live." Maritza reached out and bumped fists with an approving Alex.

Alex and Nicky watched their crews driving off with the bags before retreating to the warehouse office to warm up with coffee and stuff their faces with leftover donuts.

"Okay kid, spill it. Did you get hold of Piper yet?"

Alex nodded and swallowed her mouthful of pastry. "She's safe, thank god.

"What did she think of the big bag distribution of 2018?"

"I didn't tell her." Alex drained the dregs of her now cold coffee and got up to get some more.

Nicky was dumbfounded. "Al, you missed a prime opportunity to show Piper that you have chops. You can make things happen right here in Chicago. Convince her to stay here with you bud." Nicky reached over to snag the last donut.

"That's just it Nic. I shouldn't have to convince her of anything. She needs to decide for herself what she wants. She wants this NYC gig bad, enough that she didn't even consider my feelings or as much as discuss it with me. This needs to come from her."

Nicky pulled out her phone and checked her notifications. "Damn bud, I missed this one. Check it out – Flaca and Maritza may spill the beans for you. They posted this right before they left." A new YouTube video had been uploaded of the team assembling the cold-weather supply bags. Each member discussed items in the bag and how their use could help someone living on the streets. "Wow – even in the midst of ramping up for the cold, followers have already ramped up a few thousand views on this sucker. It's only been up about thirty minutes."

Alex and Nicky watched the video a few times, noting how in their short employment with the Cinderella Foundation, Maritza and Flaca had drastically improved their public videos and messages. Social media officially garnered more donations than the fund raisers. But the fund raisers were still an important evil to keep the board members interested and for the political pull they provide.

* * *

Piper splashed cold water on her face to calm her nerves. Because of the weather situation and impromptu shift to meeting at her hotel, she had chosen a simple outfit and wore minimal make-up. Somewhere along the way, she had realized that this organization needed her more than she needed it. This knowledge calmed her nerves more than anything.

Once she was sufficiently composed, Piper gathered the newly printed packets the delivery boy had dropped off earlier and made her way to the meeting room. She saw that she had timed her arrival right as the urban development team had all arrived and they were waiting on her. Perhaps this would give her the upper hand.

Coming from the back of the room, she greeted each of them as she handed out the new packets and settled into the large boardroom-like chair at the far end of the table. "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for accommodating the change of venue for our meeting. How about this storm?"

The group briefly made some small talk, mostly sharing cold weather horrors before getting down to business. Piper took the floor again. "The material you have in front of you has some recent modifications. I apologize for the late notice. The basis of the proposal is still the same, only a change in some of the logistics. I'll give you some time to read over the changes which are noted with flags."

* * *

Martiza and Flaca hunted around in their old stomping grounds until they found who they were looking for. Mikey was an amiable fellow without the chip on his shoulder that many street people had, with good reason. He took his hard knocks with a grain of salt and seemed to always be jolly.

"Hey Mikey. How ya doin?" Maritza plopped down next to her friend.

"Oh it's going." He gave a short whistle. "Don't you girls clean up nice?"

Flaca laughed. After the trio caught up, the girls asked Mikey if he'd be willing to be interviewed for their internet show. He flashed a toothless smile as he agreed. Maritza explained what was going to happen and told Mikey to just be himself.

"Always am. Can't be nobody else!"

"Hey folks out there in Facebook land. Are you getting ready for this cold snap that's about to gobble us up? Or are you one of the ones already trapped on the east coast? Well I'm sure you know me by now. I'm Flaca."

Maritza squeezed her face into the screen. "And I'm Maritza. You know us from our YouTube channel 'Tips for the Homeless'. Today we are coming to you live from the cold streets of Chicago. We'd like to introduce you to one of our friends, Mikey."

The phone swung around to face Mikey who was bundled up in four layers of clothes and a space blanket, his face barely peeking out from the protection. Huddled in the alcove of a doorway for protection from the harsh wind, he sheepishly waved at the camera.

Flaca took a seat next to Mikey with one of the duffel bags. "We brought you some supplies Mikey. Can we show them to you?"

Mikey excitedly rubbed his hands together and reached towards the duffel like a young child. As Flaca took out each item, Martiza explained why it was in the bag. Mikey sporadically threw in his own commentary which was actually quite funny.

"Hey Mikey, one of our viewers, FloridaSam wants to know why you don't go to a shelter. What do you say to that?

"I say phooey on you FloridaSam. There are others who need the shelters worse than I do – like women with children, old folks and people who are sick. With the help of fine women such as these two, I can make it out here just fine."

The trio kept their live event going on a little longer, answering a few more questions from viewers and talking to Mikey about life on the streets in the winter. Before ending the live event, Flaca gave details on what viewers could do to help the homeless community in their own area as well as details on how to donate to the _Cinderella Foundation_.

"No matter where you are. No matter who you are. Stay warm, and always remember to help those who are less fortunate. This is Flaca."

"And this is Maritiza."

"Thanks for watching Cinderella Live."

Flaca wrapped up the technical side of the Facebook event while Maritza gathered the things they had unpacked from the duffel. "Here Mikey; let us take this one and give you a fresh duffel. We can repack this one back at the warehouse."

Mikey looked at Flaca sheepishly. "Thanks for everything girls. I was worried how I was going to make it through this cold snap." He paused and looked down. "You are helping so many people. I hate to even ask this. But…" He looked over at Maritza. "Is there a way I can keep both bags? There's this new kid out here, can't be no more than 15. He doesn't talk much and stays in the shadows. He don't even got a coat. He ain't gonna make it a week. I promise – I can find him and give him the bag."

Flaca placed her hand on the older man's arm. "Of course, you can take the other bag Mikey. We are only delivering to people we know so that they get to the right hands. And yes, my friend, we trust you."

Maritza pulled out the set of instructions. "These instructions talk about the best ways to prepare for the cold weather." She flipped the last page over to the listing of shelters and circled three. "Hang on to this. When the weather gets above freezing, come by one of these shelters. We run showers out of a bus. You don't have to go into the shelter except to sign up. They are real nice about it."

Mikey promised to come by one of the shower buses as soon as they were running again. He thanked them again for the extra bag then set off to find the new street kid.

* * *

The urban development planners had left the hotel, and Piper was feeling quite giddy about the agreements that had been made. She had expected the meeting to go well, however she had never dreamed she would be leaving New York City with the signatures needed to expand _Cinderella Foundation_.

Piper gathered the executed agreements. Normally she would have them Express Couriered to the Foundation office; but with the weather as unstable as it has been, Piper decided to take them with her and hand-deliver them herself. Because she had modified the proposal, the lawyers would need to review the documentation before the board would give final approval. The only thing left that remained was how to break the news to Alex.

* * *

"So, you don't want me to pick you up at the airport Pipes?" Alex was trying to keep the ire out of her voice. Thanks to the storm, she hadn't seen her girlfriend in almost a week and couldn't even talk to her for several days. "I would have thought you'd be a little more excited to see me." Alex's deep voice was barely audible as she added this quip as an aside note.

"What was that Al? It's so loud here. Okay, okay, I'm about to go through security. I will have to hang up now. I have to run by the Foundation office before I head over to the apartment. Oops, I'm next. I'll text you."

With that, the blonde was gone. Alex let out her frustrations in a tremendous roar. She cocked her arm back to throw her phone against the wall and pulled back just in time before destroying her device. Instead she dropped to the bed, heart heavy. For the first time since they began to date, Alex was starting to drift back to thoughts of when she realized that Piper was the homeless woman who had caused her frantic dreams.

Alex dialed Nicky. "My apartment. Now. Bring booze."

* * *

"Why didn't I follow my first instincts about her Nicky? She fooled me when she was acting homeless. She's just a selfish, conniving bitch."

"Whoa, whoa there, killer." Nicky poured another drink for the both of them and pushed one towards her best friend. "Why don't you start at the beginning? Piper… she's coming home today, right?"

Alex tossed the amber liquid down her throat as she grunted an affirmative answer.

"Okay that's a start. She tell you how the meeting went?"

Alex snatched the bourbon bottle and poured herself a double. "Nope. I asked, and she ignored me. Just gave me her sweet smile and changed the subject."

"That's some messed up shit." Nicky's mind was frantically scrambling for a way to bring her pal some consolation. "What about the duffel bag project? How'd she react? She must have been proud as shit at what we accomplished from your grand ideas."

Alex sneered. "Not a fucking word. She didn't say a cotton-picking word."

"That's peculiar. It was a damned good plan, and well executed if I might say so myself." Both women downed another whiskey. "You should be proud, and the girls – they got some good social media out there on it. I mean – YouTube, Facebook Live, and all the pictures on Instagram. Surely she saw it."

"I doubt it," Alex scoffed. "Nicky… what do I do about Piper? I think I'm about to lose her to New York City. As much as I dislike her right now for not caring about  _my efforts_  or  _my heart_  I love her Nic. Fuck I love her."

"How about we both say a little prayer that she gets fat and stops shaving her legs?" Both women burst out in laughter.

After a bit more drinking in silence, Alex finally spoke, slurred actually. "I don't even know anymore. I used to. I had grand plans. Now I can't even get past the swirling darkness in my brain long enough to land on anything."

* * *

"Alex? Al are you here?" Piper locked the door to Alex's apartment behind her as she tossed her bag and satchel to the side and flipped on the light.

"Ugh. Turn that off." Piper chuckled when she saw Nicky sprawled out on the couch, obviously quite drunk. She turned off the light and quietly slipped off her shoes. She quietly made her way to the bedroom where Alex was sprawled on top of the bed, fully dressed.

Smiling, Piper eased herself down on the bed to gaze at Alex's face. She slowly pulled as many clothes as she could without waking Alex so that she could sleep more comfortably and pulled the covers around her. Piper took a quick shower to rinse the grime of travel from her skin, pulled on a set of flannel pajamas.

As much as Piper wanted to wake both her business partners and share the good news with them, she knew that probably wouldn't be a good idea. Piper crept into bed next to Alex, holding her tightly against her chest. And slept. Her good news could wait until the morning.


	27. Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Alex groaned when the morning light hit her hungover eyes. Her head was pounded – she needed some aspirin and like a gallon of water. She went to roll over and discovered she was trapped by a weight on the covers. She managed to ease her body over and saw that something during the night, Piper had returned home. Her left leg was slung over the outside of the covers, trapping Alex beneath the comforter.

As delighted as she was to finally see her girlfriend, Alex was not quite ready to kiss and make up. If she woke up her girlfriend now, that's what would inevitably happen. She was still angry with Piper – well, not angry – more like hurt. Hurt that Piper was only looking out for herself and moving out of state and hadn't noticed her efforts with the foundation.

She eased from beneath the blonde and crept to the bathroom. Not wanting to wake Piper, Alex splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth. Foregoing a shower, she pulled her hair back into a loose pony-tail and pulled a beanie over her head. She grabbed another set of clothes and the bottle of aspirin. Sneaking out of the bedroom, she eased the door closed. Nicky was beginning to stir, so Alex shook her further out of her sleep and put her finger to her lips, signaling to Nicky to be quiet.

"Piper is home. I'm not ready to face her yet. Come on, I'll buy you breakfast." She handed Nicky the extra clothes and the aspirin.

Nicky groaned at the idea of not being able to sleep away more of her hangover then realized how anxious being at the apartment was making Alex. "Weirdo. But who am I to turn down free food?" Nicky trotted off to do her best to make herself as presentable as a hung-over Nicky could get.

* * *

Piper woke up smelling the familiar scent of Alex and stretched out her legs, feeling happy all the way to her toes. She slowly rolled over expecting to awaken Alex with warm kisses and snuggling, show her how much Piper had missed her throughout her trip. Imagine her surprise when the other side of the bed was empty. Cold and empty. Piper's heart dropped.

She crawled out of bed and padded out of the bedroom. She was shocked to find the entire apartment quiet and empty. There wasn't even as much as a note. Piper pulled her phone off the charger and checked her messages. While Marka had texted her to come in to the main office once she had rested up, she was surprised that Alex had not messaged her.

Alex's phone went straight to voice mail when Piper called. Perplexed, she tried to push her foul feelings aside. She mentally replayed their last conversation trying to pinpoint any sense of negativity or something that would have given a hint of why Alex was gone without a word and wasn't picking up her phone.

Shrugging off the destructive emotions which were creeping up her spine like a spider, Piper showered and readied herself to visit the matriarch of the _Cinderella Foundation_.

* * *

Alex and Nicky drove a little way out of Alex's normal stomping grounds so as to avoid Piper who might coming around in search of her. The city had let Alex know that they could resume shower rotations the next day. Alex sent a group text out giving the team the day off but let them know that work was a go for tomorrow. She then put her phone on Do Not Disturb as she definitely had no intention on being disturbed.

As soon as their order arrived, Nicky began shoveling pancakes into her mouth. "Damn bud, you act like you haven't eaten in days." Alex chuckled as she reached over and caught a small stream of syrup dripping from the corner of her pal's mouth. "You eat like a child."

Nicky mumbled something through the food. "Soaking up the booze." Just watching Nicky stuff her face made Alex smirk. She stopped her attempts at talking to her best bud in fear of being sprayed with partially chewed pancakes.

When the crazy haired friend finally pushed herself back in the booth, she burped a belch that would make anyone proud. "You are disgusting." Nicky just poked out her belly and rubbed it happily. Alex laughed and reached over to snag the remaining piece of bacon off Nicky's plate despite Nicky's fervent protests.

"Hey, I was saving that for last!"

"Suffer bitch." Both women laughed.

Nicky finally looked at her phone which had been blowing up in her pocket. "Ugh, Mother Marka is requesting our presence. I guess we have to go pay the piper." Nicky watched Alex for a reaction. "Har de har har, get it? Pay the PIPER."

"I get it ass." Alex pulled out her phone. "At least Marka is only messaging you. Me? I have five missed calls, two voicemails, and six texts from … Piper. Argh! I suppose I do have to get this over with sometime. It might as well be now. Let's go find out how much longer I'll have a girlfriend." Nicky messaged her mom telling her they would be there in two hours.

Alex grudgingly paid the bill, convincing Nicky to leave the tip. The women loaded up in the car and headed back to Alex's. Nicky headed back to her flat to shower and clean up, leaving Alex to do the same. After Nicky left, Alex took her phone off Do Not Disturb and messaged Piper.

_[Alex 10:23 am: Sorry I left this morning. I'll be at the meeting. We can talk afterwards.]_

_[Piper 10:26 am: S'okay. See you then.]_

Alex was slightly shocked that was all Piper had to say but figured she deserved it for ducking out this morning without even talking to her girlfriend.

* * *

Marka greeted Piper with a mammoth hug and encouraged her to take a seat on the couch. "Dearest Piper. We have so much to talk about. I had a surprise visit from our lawyer early this morning. Apparently, you were busy in New York and didn't even call to let me know." Marka tried to act like she was scolding Piper when they both knew she wasn't. "I'm so proud of you. The lawyer was delighted with the verbiage you used and promptly approved the contract to go before the board meeting this week."

Piper clapped her hands together childishly. "I am so delighted. I know I made some fairly drastic changes which certainly weren't approved, but I felt something in my gut that told me this was the direction I needed to go."

"I must admit I was certainly surprised, but your decisions are typically well thought out and solid. What did Alex say? She has to be excited!"

Piper started wringing her hands in her lap. "Ummm," she stuttered. "I haven't told her. We actually didn't get much of a chance to talk while I was gone, with the weather and all. She doesn't know."

Marka's eyes widened and she picked up her phone. "Wait." Piper stopped Marka from dialing. "Alex's phone is off. I think she's upset with me."

"Oh dear. How about I text Nicky and have them come up for a meeting. Make it all official like. I haven't had a chance to talk to them after their latest project either." Marka sent Nicky a quick text which was answered immediately. "They will be here in two hours."

Piper let out a sigh of relief. Soon everything would be on the table, and there would be no more surprises. "Wait? Their project? What do you mean Marka?"

With a chuckle, Marka responded, "I guess you don't keep up with the Cinderella social media."

Slapping her forehead, Piper chided herself. "Honestly, I haven't. I barely had electricity two of the days I was gone, and the internet was done. Plus, I spent time reworking the proposal. So no, I haven't kept up with our social media. What happened? Are things okay?" Guilt was seeping in because she was neglecting her current responsibilities for the possibility of expansion.

Grabbing the remote, Marka powered on the TV and flipped on her FireStick and navigated to YouTube. "Why don't you just watch and see for yourself?"

* * *

Nicky swung back by Alex's to pick her up for the meeting. "Do I have to go?" Alex was dragging her feet as Nicky pulled her arm out the door.

"Yes. You must always heed Marka's call. She with the money must be obeyed." Nicky was glad that she could elicit at least a small smile from her friend.

"You know, the news may not be bad after all. Maybe she got shot down so hard in New York that her dreams are crushed. She will never try this again and be destined to stay by your side here in Chi-town."

"Bite your tongue my friend. I may be selfish on this, but I'm not callous. These  _are_  here dreams we are talking about. And who am I to stand in the way of her dreams?"

"Yeah, but you love her Alex. And she loves you. You two should be together. The oh great Nicky has spoken and so it shall be."

Alex leaned her head against the cold window glass and just gazed into the swirling snow blowing in the wind.

* * *

Piper watched the YouTube video as well as the upload of the Facebook Live interview. She then ventured over to Instagram and browsed the pictures. "Wow. I mean wow. I don't know what to say Marka. How in the hell did they pull this off?"

Marka's voice was soft. "This was all Alex. By the time she or Nicky contacted me to let me know the plan, the ball was already rolling. And it just kept gaining speed as it went." Marka laid her hand on Piper's arm. "She's a natural Piper. And it's obvious how much she loves you."

Tears welled up in Piper's eyes. "How could I be so thoughtless and selfish? I didn't even ask her how she felt about us expanding to NYC. I just announced I was headed to NYC to try to get this plan then got all dreamy eyed about moving to the Big Apple, talking about all the things I could do when I moved. I cannot even begin to imagine how that made her feel." She took the tissue offered by Marka and blotted away the tears before her mascara could run too much.

"Then when we talked while I was gone, I didn't even keep up with our own foundation. She's probably more upset that I didn't say anything about what she was accomplishing here than she is about me moving…" Piper stopped herself and slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Oh my god Marka. What have I done? I'm a selfish, horrible person. The past few weeks, I have not considered Alex in anything I've done. What am I going to do? How can I make this up to her?" Tears were now falling steadily.

Marka put her arms around the blonde. "It's going to be okay Piper. Let's make it through this meeting, and you'll see. It's going to be okay."

"She's never going to forgive me," Piper sobbed. "I remember when she found out that my being homeless was a grad school project and that I was never truly destitute. She did not trust me for a very long time. She thought I had been playing her for a fool. I don't know if she will get past this."

Taking Piper's chin in her hand, Marka turned Piper's head to face her. "Do you love her Piper?"

Piper nodded vigorously. "With all my heart."

"Then you will make it through this. Just show her that you love her."

* * *

Soon Nicky and Alex arrived at the office and were shown in by Marka's secretary. Piper was standing by the window, gazing out over the city. As she turned, Alex caught a glimpse of Piper's face swollen from crying. Forgetting her all her anger and hurt, Alex rushed over and enveloped Piper in her arms.

"Babe, are you okay? What happened?" Alex was so tender and gentle which caused Piper to start crying all over again. "Piper. Talk to me. What's wrong?" She guided Piper over to the couch and sat her down so she could cradle the younger woman in her arms.

Nicky questioningly looked at Marka who just shook her head and motioned for Nicky to follow her out of the office to give the couple some privacy.

"Pipes, talk to me." As Piper tried to speak, her voice cracked. She took a deep breath which caused her breath to only stutter. "Okay, shhhh. Let's just concentrate on breathing. Slow breathes." Alex was concerned as she looked down at her beautiful girlfriend whose face was red and blotchy and eyes were bloodshot.

After a bit of time had passed, Piper's breaths had slowed to normal and she managed to get a grip on the emotions rampaging her body. She leaned forward and scrubbed her nose with a tissue so snot wouldn't run down her face.

"Are you okay babe?" Piper nodded. "Are you ready to tell me what's got you so upset?"

"You must hate me Al. I'm a self-serving, egotistical woman who only thinks of herself."

Alex was quick to contradict Piper despite having chosen almost those exact same words to describe her girlfriend the night before. "No Piper. No, you aren't. Now talk to me."

"Marka showed me the videos the girls made. Of your duffel bag project."

"You are this upset about a supply project?" Alex's voice was incredulous. "Piper that project was solid. We did good things and helped many in our community."

"No Al. I don't doubt you did a perfect job. It's just that I wasn't here to help you, and Marka was the one who told me about it. I didn't keep up with what was going on with the foundation that I help to run. I just now saw the clips on YouTube. I'm a horrible partner and a worse girlfriend."

While Alex was feeling slightly vindicated over being angry at Piper, her heart was breaking at how upset Piper was. "You've kind of been busy. I know that babe."

"How are you so incredibly nice to me Alex? I haven't taken your feelings into consideration through any of the new project I've been working on. When I realized that today, well… I'm a miserable fool. I am so sorry."

Because she didn't have any words to say, Alex kept quiet and simply held Piper until Marka and Nicky returned to the room.

"Things okay?" Marka asked? Alex nodded. "Good. We have business to attend to. Nicky take a seat." Nicky and Marka sat in chairs on either end of the couch where Alex was holding Piper. Piper dropped her feet to the floor and sat up, trying to compose herself.

Piper took a deep breath. "Shall we start?" After looking around the room and seeing no objections, Piper began. "How about I just rip the bandaid right off? In short, we got the contract. The _Cinderella Foundation_ is expanding to New York."

Alex felt her stomach rise up to her throat as the bitter taste of bile threatened to escape. Piper had not been upset just about the duffel project. She was leaving Chicago. Leaving Alex. Leaving.

Piper kept talking, but Alex was not listening as there was a ringing in her ears – deafening. As she felt her stomach begin to heave, she leapt off the couch and raced out of Marka's office.

* * *

"Go away." Alex was sitting on the floor of Marka's private restroom having lost her breakfast in the toilet many times over. The knocking was persistent. "Leave me alone."

She heard the sound of metallic scratching and the tumblers of the lock being turned. The door swung open to reveal Nicky standing there with a pair of bobby pins. "And they say you don't learn a useful trade when locked up." Nicky was smirking as she pocketed her makeshift lock picking tools.

"Go the fuck away Nicky. I'm not in the mood for you."

"Did you hear anything Piper said?"

"I heard enough."

Nicky struggled to pull her friend off the floor. "No Alex, you didn't. Clean yourself up. Grow up and get the fuck back to the office." Alex flipped Nicky off as Nicky left the restroom.

* * *

When Alex finally made her way back to Marka's office, everyone was still sitting in the same place. Alex plopped down on the couch, this time on the opposite end as far from Piper as possible. She crossed her arms and slapped a sullen look on her face. She'd finish the meeting out of respect for Marka but then she was out of here.

Marka nodded to Piper to continue. "The New York Urban Development committee oversees all five boroughs. They've been studying our bus project for some time, trying to determine a way to duplicate our success. To make a long story short, they will be joining us as a sub-foundation, responsible for their own funding."

"In exchange for consulting fees, we will provide the plans and structure for their own shower program. Various members of our organization will periodically visit New York to help with coordination of their project and to oversee operations. The target is to launch a bus in each of the boroughs by early summer."

Alex still sat there with her arms crossed. The silence was deafening until it became obvious everyone was waiting for her to ask the inevitable question. "And just who is going to manage the New York branch? To oversee operations?" Alex's voice was sharp, bitter. "When are you moving?" There… Alex finally addressed her elephant.

Piper smirked. "That's the beauty of this Al." She slid the new contract over to her girlfriend. "The consulting fee is for us to help them set up their own program, not run it for them. We'll assist in hiring, training, etc. But once they are underway, they are on their own. I'm not going anywhere."

Alex leaned forward, placing her head in her hands. The others just gave her time to take in what Piper had just revealed. After a bit of time, she looked back up at Piper. "What?"

"I'm not going anywhere Alex. When I was trapped away from you in New York and couldn't even call you, I realized that I could barely be away from you for more than a few days. There's no way in hell I could ever leave you. And you don't want to leave Chicago. This solution is a win-win for all involved."

Alex was still shell shocked. She tilted her head sideways as she spoke. "You mean you aren't leaving me?"

Piper shook her head. "I'm not leaving the _Cinderella Foundation_. I'm not leaving Chicago. And most importantly, I'm not leaving you."


	28. Epilogue

The flight from O'Hare to JFK was a little over two hours. Despite everyone having taking turns going to NYC for various reasons the past few months, nerves were still causing the team to be jumpy. Opening week was important. They not only had prepared for and were about execute not one grand opening, but five – over a span of three days. Each borough would be getting its own fanfare.

The original team was all there, even Lorna who had eased up on her schedule in Chicago. She had moved out of the employee apartments and was now living with Nicky. She insisted on working "to keep her honest" although everyone knew Nicky had enough money to make Lorna a well-kept woman. The couple compromised and Lorna stayed on the warehouse working on bookkeeping and orientation of new employees.

* * *

The first two days would be spent with a team member at each site making sure the buses were in order. Amenity kits had to be properly stocked and linens in place. As with the Chicago opening, each borough had its own customized t-shirts to distribute at the grand opening.

Learning from their own grand openings, Alex had arranged for the fire department to come to the bus warehouse and show the road crews how to hook up their water supplies before the first day. Nothing was going to be left to chance for these events.

Of course, Manhattan was first as it would garner the most attention and most publicity. The Coalition for the Homeless was on Fulton Street in the business district close to the World Trade Center and Wall Street. The crowd was humongous. The number of speakers was endless. Everyone wanted a piece of the publicity. Of course they did, it was an election year.

One of New York's state representatives spoke about the issues of homelessness and what she was doing in her district to help the community. Marka made a few brief remarks as did the urban development representative from Manhattan. Together, the both cut the ribbon to represent the opening of the bus.

The other four openings went just as smoothly as the first. Flaca and Maritza were able to get a great deal of footage to splice together to make promotional videos for fund raising purposes. They had spent a lot of time virtually with the NYC PR team who would be responsible for the social media in the city. Those teams each held live events and filmed clips for YouTube videos. The big promo video would be used for some TV slots as well as at the glitzy fundraisers.

* * *

On Friday evening when all the work had been done, Marka had arranged for a private dinner at one of the city's premier restaurants in celebration of a job well done. Amazingly there had been few hiccups, and this was accredited to the ungodly amount of planning Piper, Alex, and Nicky had put into the expansion project.

As dessert was being finished, Taystee pushed back from the table. "Damn I'm tired but still… sucks that we have to go home tomorrow. Back to the grindstone in Chicago." Everyone in the Chicago team nodded their heads in agreement.

Alex cocked her head sideways and raised her eyebrows at Nicky. Nicky shrugged her shoulders. Poussey caught the interchange between the two women. "What? What's going on?"

Piper laughed. "Don't let those two mess with your minds." Marka handed an envelope to each of the Chicago workers. The women ripped open the envelopes to find that each held a two-day New York Pass and a two-day subway pass.

"What the f…" Tricia caught herself. She's been trying extremely hard to clean up her mouth.

Piper continued. "You didn't think we could have satellite operations in the Big Apple without letting you be tourists some, did you? The pass is good for most of the attractions in the city. There's also a guide book so you guys can get together tonight if you want to plan what you want to see. You also have a 48-hour transit pass, everything you need for a down and dirty time in the City that Never Sleeps."

Smiling, Marka picked up where Piper left off. "Ladies, enjoy your time in New York. Our flight home leaves Monday afternoon. As long as you are packed and ready to go in the lobby by 11:30 Monday, the weekend is yours."

The hoots and hollers of the Chicago team deafened the rest of the group. They had been busting their asses for the last few months, so this was an incredible reward for them. Excitedly, they gathered their belongings and rushed to the hotel to begin planning for the weekend.

* * *

Piper and Alex retreated to their hotel and changed into some comfortable clothes. Pulling open the curtains in their room, they had the perfect view of the city. The Empire State Building was visible on the left and the World Trade Center could be seen in the distance on the right.

Alex came up behind Piper and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. "They say the top of the Empire State Building is very romantic at night. Can I persuade you to accompany me there for a kiss, perhaps a slow dance?"

"Oh hell Al. No way. I'm exhausted. Can't we just hang out here in our jammies and just be?"

Alex chuckled at how fast her plans had been shot down by the blonde. "As you wish…" But what Piper wanted, Piper got.

Piper lounged on the couch while Alex popped the cork on a bottle of prosecco. She lovingly watched as Alex poured a flute for each of them and took a seat next to Piper on the couch. Piper smiled as she took a sip of the dry, chilled wine.

"I love you Piper." Alex tilted her head sideways as she stared at her girlfriend.

Piper laughed nervously. "I love you, too, Alex." She leaned over to kiss the dark-haired woman on the chin. "We are okay, aren't we Alex?"

A deep, throaty chuckle was followed by an, "I hope so Pipes. I sure hope so."

The couple sat in silence for a while enjoying each other's company.

"I'm glad you didn't leave Chicago, Piper."

"Me, too, Alex. I'm sorry I ever even put the thought in your mind."

More silence. Alex got up to pour another drink. Piper ignored a strange clinking noise. But she did find it odd that Alex stood in front of her this time rather than sitting next to her on the couch.

Piper laughed nervously. "You are staring babe."

Alex nodded. "I mean, I'm really glad you didn't leave Chicago." Alex handed Piper her freshly filled glass and Piper's eyes grew big as she looked at the narrow flute and the shiny, round object laying at the bottom of the glass.

Her eyes darted to Alex who had bent down on one knee. "Because if you had left Chicago, I couldn't do this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though I've been bulk uploading this story, I would still love to hear your comments and feedback!


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